


Masters of Baransu

by iceicemaybe49, StressQueen



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fight Club - Freeform, I swear I know what I'm doing, I'll Explain That Later, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lowkey OC character, M/M, Masters, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slowburn (kinda?), but kinda not?, cole is hella gay, cursed realm, departed realm, i basically rewrote the entire show, jay has nightmares, just give it a chance, like seasons, lots of things are different, masters of magic, ninjago is called something different, oni masks - Freeform, sorry hagemans, they are NOT ninja, will most likely be in multiple parts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-13
Updated: 2019-04-08
Packaged: 2019-06-26 19:05:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 39
Words: 57,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15669402
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iceicemaybe49/pseuds/iceicemaybe49, https://archiveofourown.org/users/StressQueen/pseuds/StressQueen
Summary: For generations, Masters have passed down their abilities to their children to help maintain the balance of the universe. If there should ever be an imbalance between Creation and Destruction, eight of the most powerful Masters must step in and maintain order. Lloyd, Master of Energy, has been training for this his entire life. And now, there's a new threat that could involve his father- the infamous Lord Garmadon. The Masters realize the danger of imbalance is more threatening than they once thought. With the Sons of Garmadon against them and countless of allies with them, the Masters of Baransu will try their best at maintaining balance once more.(pls dont attack me im new)**I DO NOT OWN NINJAGO OR LEGO. THIS IS PURELY A WORK OF FAN FICTION





	1. -Prologue-

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the Ninjago AU where there pretty much everything is different! My patience ran thin with inconsistent timelines and whatnot so I took matters into my own hands. I hope you enjoy this fic!
> 
> PS: this is the prologue and it takes place like 10 years before current events

“In the beginning, there was a single realm, one of the Oni and the Dragons. The Oni held the power of hate, fear, sadness, sickness, and all things in between. The Dragons held the power of soul and life. The two were polar opposites, and they never got along. 

“From their first breathing moments, the two beings were always at war, a war that still continues today. In the midst of their battles, their powers ‘accidentally’ created sixteen realms. Centuries later, the Oni and the Dragons created something else. The First Master.

“The First Master had the blood of both Oni and Dragon flowing through his veins, thus allowing him to have abilities of both combined. Not wanting to become part of his parents’ feud, he transported himself to the different realms. 

“When he arrived at each one, it was like a blank canvas. Using his powers, he designed every realm uniquely to its own extent. Every realm had its own story, own characters.

“Finally, he settled on the sixteenth and closest realm to its mother. The First Master named it Ningen no ryōiki. Realm of the Humans. 

“He liked the humans. He decided to live out the rest of his days with them. He showed the humans what they could do and where they came from. The humans adored The First Master and called him by the name of Saisho. 

“As Saisho grew older, he knew that all of the power within his large soul would vanish unless he passed it down to someone. But to give all that power to one being would be too much for a human’s small soul. 

“Finally, Saisho came up with a solution. He split his soul into each piece of power he used to create the realms. He then chose able and worthy humans to possess each ability. That is how the Masters were created. 

“There was a Master for nearly everything. Humans passed down their power to their children when they were born, then to the children’s children and so forth. 

“Overtime, few Masters have ceased to exist due to being unable to pass down the power. While this may be sad in some sense, it’s important that the most valuable and important Masters still exist today.

“You see, while Saisho was sharing his power, he saved ten specific abilities for last. He was reluctant to give them up because of how powerful they were. He chose very wisely when giving the power of Creation and Destruction. The final eight were given to the strongest humans Saisho could find.

“He told those eight Masters that their job and the job of the future generations to come was very important. If the Masters of Creation and Destruction were to ever cause any imbalance, the eight are to stop and save their Realm and restore balance, for together, their powers were the only thing powerful enough to defeat anything. 

“You carry a very important task on your shoulders. You are to train to be the very best leader you can be. You, the Master of Energy, and the Masters of Fire, Water, Ice, Earth, Lightning, and Reflection will become an unstoppable team.

“Will you make us proud, Lloyd?” Wu finished his story and picked up a cup of tea as he waited for his nephew to answer.

Lloyd’s red eyes opened, and his eyes grazed the flickering candles in the dim room around him before bowing his head.

“Yes, Sensei,” he replied.


	2. I-Cole-I

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, I'm back with a chapter that's HELLA long. Don't worry, though, not all chapters are gonna be like this lol (hopefully). But yeah enjoy this chapter in the Master of Earth's perspective thanks

“It sucks that you have to leave every summer to go to some stupid camp,” Seliel complained through the laptop.

 

Cole lounged on his bed, luggage tossed by the door waiting to get picked up. He was video-chatting with one of his friends (his only friend) while waiting for his dad. It was only a matter of time before his dad barged in saying it was time to go.

 

“I know, it’s awful,” he agreed with his friend, “but it’s only for two weeks. When I get back we can hang.”

 

Seliel smiled as Cole’s door swung open. Cole sighed. 

 

“Gotta go. Bye.” He closed his computer and got up from his bed. 

 

“Ready to leave, happy camper?” his dad asked handing him his bag.

Cole shrugged. “Yeah.”

 

The family got in the car and drove off. Cole put in his earbuds and stared out the window the whole way there. Even though Cole was showing clear signs that he didn’t want conversation, his dad still rambled.

 

“Camp is going to be so fun for you! I’m sure you’re going to get to meet up with a bunch of old friends. A summer full of acting and performing! I wish my parents signed me up for that! And just think of it. You used to only have two weeks to let your passion shine, but now you have the whole summer and-!”

 

Cole tore out his earbuds. “What?” he demanded. “The entire summer? At that camp? Are you crazy?!”

 

Lou looked away from the road and at his son. “What’s the matter, Coleman? I thought you liked camp.”

 

Cole hated camp. Despised it. He hated all of the smiles and cheers as people sang and danced around the stage. At night when he was trying to sleep in the cabins, he was forced to stay awake because of the people softly singing to one another on the patio. He hated that being at camp was a constant reminder that the only reason he was sent there was that his dad was too busy neglecting his child, and it was easier to get away with it during school time than it was in the summer. 

 

Still, it was too late to turn back. 

 

“Yeah,” he lied. “I love it.” At least the acting classes made him better at lying.

 

Cole put his earbuds back in, and no one said a word for the rest of the car ride. When his dad pulled into the dirt parking lot, Cole made no hesitation to grab his backpack and get out of the car to get the rest of his luggage from the trunk. 

 

As he lifted the suitcase with ease, his dad got out of the car. A camp counselor ran up to the small family. 

“Lou!” the counselor greeted with a smile. “Good to see you dropping off your little boy again.”

 

Cole didn’t get why the counselors always called him “little” or sometimes even “squirt”. He was taller than most kids his age. He was even taller than his dad and almost all of the counselors. 

 

His dad smiled alongside the camp counselor and gave a firm pat on the back to Cole. “Yes, well, it’s always good to bring my son here. He’s always so excited about it!”

 

Nope.

 

“That’s just wonderful! We’ll get this kiddo checked in, and you can pick him up at the end of summer.”

 

“Will do. And- hey, Cole- don’t mess around with any girls, okay?” he joked with a Dad™ grin and wink. 

 

As if that was going to be a problem. Cole wanted to roll his eyes but just couldn’t bring himself to do it to his dad. 

 

“Yeah. Okay,” he responded. 

 

With one last chuckle, Lou got in his car and drove away. Cole followed the camp counselor to the cabins, where he would spend the rest of his summer shoved next to a bunch of kids he didn’t want to talk to.

 

Once he had claimed a bed, he took his phone out of his backpack to see if he could get any service. He wanted to try and tell Seliel that he wouldn’t be seen until August. 

 

No bars. 

 

Cole threw his head against the musty pillow and closed his eyes. He could just stay in the background like he’s done for the past three years. Despite his size, he was somewhat like a ninja. The only time people bothered to give him attention was during those stupid group activities where you were forced to work with others. 

 

He was trying to enjoy his quiet before he heard someone strumming a guitar. The notes were strung one at a time. In an instant, Cole flashed his eyes open upon the familiar tune.

 

E4 G#4 A3 B3

 

Cole sat up and grabbed his things. He couldn’t do it. There was no way he was going to waste his summer here. He had to go. So he left. 

 

\--------

 

Sneaking out was fairly easy. As he expected, he was practically a ninja as he snuck into the kitchen and stole whatever food he wanted. As soon as he was content with his variety of pre-packaged cake and pudding cups, he snuck back out and ran for the exit. 

 

As soon as he was in the clear, he looked around the area, trying to determine where he would go next. 

 

The drive from his house was a little over thirty minutes long- it would take him a day to walk back. Besides, his dad would kill him if he found out he left camp. 

 

There was a small village a mile away from the camp- that’s where all the shipments for food came in. He could just harbor there for a few weeks before returning for the last few days. Cole figured that was the best plan. He had brought his wallet with him, so he could pay for small meals. It was summertime, so the villagers would most likely assume that Cole was just vacationing there. 

Not seeing or considering any consequences, Cole started walking alongside the road. A few minutes later, he realized that he actually had no idea where he was going. 

 

Crap, he thought, looking around. He couldn’t go back to camp to get a map and his phone still carried no service. If it weren’t for all of the mountains surrounding the cell towers-

 

Cole looked over at the nearest mountain. It seemed climbable. Besides, despite his bad eating habits, Cole had an athletic build. If he could get to higher ground, he could either get better service or see the which way to get to the village. No matter what, it was a win. 

 

Shoving his suitcase in a nearby bush, Cole began his climb. At first, the mountain was a bit too steep, and there was little to no support, making it extremely difficult. But as Cole got higher, to his surprise, it got easier. 

Cole highly underestimated the amount of time it would take to climb a mountain. It took him almost an hour. As soon as he got to the top, he sat down, catching his breath, sweat dripping everywhere. 

He took a small pre-packaged mini cake out of his backpack and began chewing on it as he took out his phone. He had one bar, but that didn’t help anything. The map app on his phone ran painfully slow. 

At least he could get a text through. He opened his messages and texted Seliel about his unfortunate extended stay, but he’d still be back before school started. He hit send and didn’t turn off his phone until he saw the little “Delivered” sign on the bottom of his text. 

 

His screen turned black and he was now faced with the reflection of his disappointed face. 

 

He saw another face.

 

Cole let out a small scream as he whipped around to see who or what was behind him. 

 

It was an old man. He wore white robes lined with gold and a rice-farmer hat. He had a long white beard that covered his chest and golden eyes that held more knowledge than Cole would ever know. The old man sat on a blue blanket, and lying beside him was a bo staff and a teapot. In his hands was a steaming cup of what Cole could assume was the tea. 

Cole’s fear was immediately replaced with confusion. “How… did you get up here?” he asked, eyeing the scrawny-looking hermit. 

 

“Dragon,” the man replied contently. He took a sip of his tea. 

 

“Okay got it. So you’re crazy.”

 

The man cocked his head. “What do you mean by that, young man?”

 

Cole looked at the old man with disbelief. Didn’t he know the basics? 

 

“Only Masters can summon dragons,” Cole explained as if he were teaching it to a toddler. “And no offense, but, you don’t look like one.”

 

The old man nodded observingly. “Hm. And who taught you this lesson on Masters?”

 

Cole hesitated for a moment before forcing the words out of his mouth. “My mom.” He prayed that his voice didn’t shake or break when he said it. It was only two words, but it broke him a little bit whenever he had to say it. 

 

The man took one last sip from his cup before pouring another one. He placed it in front of himself. 

 

“Young man,” he spoke, “what brings you here.”

 

Cole was going to explain his situation with the camp and the town, but it didn’t feel true. Cole thought to himself for a moment before letting the words fall. 

 

“Well,” Cole began, “a while ago I lost someone important to me. My dad- he should have been sad- or angry! But he’s…” Cole trailed off, not sure if he wanted to keep telling this stranger about his personal problems.

 

The old man, on the other hand, seemed intrigued. He leaned forward. 

 

“Yes?” the man urged Cole to continue.

 

Cole continued, “He spends all his time with his group just singing and dancing. He’s hardly ever home. He leaves me alone, leaving all the responsibilities for me. With her gone, I guess it’s up to me to be the strong one in the family. But I can’t do that when my dad sends me to this stupid camp so it’s easier to neglect me. 

 

“He acts like nothing’s happened,” Cole went on, his anger and sadness getting stronger with each word. “How could he sing and dance at a time like this?!” Cole stopped. He’s kept that bottled up ever since her death, and the first person he opened up to was a man on a mountain. 

 

The old man closed his eyes and pondered, “Grief takes many shapes and forms. Some sing and dance. Some-” his ancient eyes flared open, looking straight into Cole’s soul, “-climb mountains.” 

 

Cole took a moment to process what the man had just said. He agreed with everything he said. Still, there was one thing still on his mind. 

 

“Why did you climb the mountain?” Cole asked.

 

“I was hoping to find someone,” the man informed. “Something in my soul told me I would find something.” He paused to take a sip of tea. “I found you.”

 

All Cole could hear were riddles now. “Who are you?”

 

“My name is Wu,” he greeted.

 

Cole’s mouth gaped open. “Wu? As in the Master Wu of Creation?”

 

Wu nodded. 

 

“My- she- used to tell me about you. You and your brother taught the previous Masters before your brother…” Cole stopped. He didn’t know if he should talk about that subject lightly (or if the subject was making sense, for that matter). 

 

Wu ignored his brother being mentioned. “It seems to me that she was a Master,” he inferred.

 

Cole froze. His mom always warned him to never let anyone know that he had the powers his mom used to have as the Master of Earth. The only other person who knew was his dad. 

And yet, Wu figured it out. Cole began regretting speaking too much. 

 

“Cole, is it?” Wu questioned. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

Cole didn’t know how to respond. He had just met Wu, but Wu was acting as if he knew him since he was a baby.

 

He nodded uncomfortably. 

 

Wu gathered his things and stood up. “Come, Cole. I have something to show you.” He turned around. In the distance, the village could be seen, along with a small hill at the edge of town where a temple was. 

 

Cole was about to follow Wu down the mountain before hesitating.

 

“What’s wrong?” Wu asked.

 

“Three things. For starters, I’m not sure if I can fully trust you yet,” Cole made clear. 

 

“Understandable.”

 

“Secondly, why are we climbing down the mountain if you can summon a dragon?”

 

“I came here at dusk when everyone was still sleeping. I’ve been waiting all day. If I were to summon one now, everyone would see. Now, what is the third?”

 

Cole’s eyes gazed down the mountain, then back up at the Master. “I left my suitcase on the road.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was the end of the first chapter! Whoo!   
> Next week we will be going into the POV of the Master of Energy himself, Lloyd Garmadon.  
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! This story's gonna be really long and there's still a lot to unfold. Sorry if it seems slow-paced!  
> Feel free to drop a comment, I'd love to hear your thoughts!  
> Finally, a shout-out to my bud Aly for helping me with this story. Love ya pal <3  
> See y'all next Monday!
> 
> PS: I actually don't know guitar chords that well and the internet actually wasn't reliable so sorry if I got that wrong


	3. II-Lloyd-II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Back at it again with another chapter. It's gonna take a bit before we start rolling onto the main plot, so please just bear with me here. Have fun reading!

It was the same every day.

 

Wake. Eat. Train. Sleep. 

 

Same walls, same rooms, same routines, same gi. 

 

The only thing different today was that Wu had left early that morning. There was no one in the monastery speaking in metaphors and riddles as Lloyd practiced.

 

He could get away with not doing work, but he had no idea when his uncle would come back. He didn’t want to risk getting in trouble.

 

Lloyd continued the same fighting techniques on dummies. It was late in the afternoon when he heard the doors open. He kept practicing as he heard footsteps walking towards the room he was in.

 

Strangely enough, he heard two people. Was it his mom? No, the second pair of steps were heavier than hers.

 

Is it someone new? Someone different? Fat chance.

 

Still, Lloyd let himself hope it wasn’t something ordinary. 

 

“Lloyd,” his uncle spoke from the entrance. “Come into the kitchen. There is someone I’d like you to meet.” 

 

Internally giddy, Lloyd obeyed his Sensei’s orders and walked into the kitchen. 

 

There, standing by the counter was someone Lloyd had never seen before. He felt light as air. Like a weight in his heart suddenly disappeared. Lloyd hadn’t met someone new since the old mailman got replaced. 

 

Lloyd studied the olive-colored teen with pitch-black hair. It was medium-length, a large portion of it brushed to the side. He had soil-brown eyes and a muscular build. Definitely, someone Lloyd has never seen before. 

 

The new person was looking around dumbfoundedly, and was caught off guard when he realized Lloyd was looking at him. 

 

“Lloyd,” Wu introduced for him, “this is Cole, the Master of Earth. Cole, Lloyd. Master of Energy.”

 

Cole put out his hand with a warm smile. “Hey. Nice to meet you.” 

 

“You too,” Lloyd smiled back and shook his hand.  
Cole turned to Wu. 

 

“So, Mister Wu-” Cole started to say.

 

“Please,” Wu assured, “no need for ‘Mister’. Call me Sensei or Master.”

 

Cole shot Lloyd a confused and annoyed look. Lloyd wondered how he was able to tolerate his uncle all these years when Cole was already getting tired of the old man within an hour of meeting him. 

 

“Master Wu,” Cole corrected himself, “why did you bring me here? What’s going on?”

 

Lloyd tried piecing things together in his mind. “Uncle… is there finally an imbalance like you feared?”

 

Wu nodded.

 

Cole shot the two confused looks, wanting an explanation. 

 

“You see, Cole,” Wu lectured, “the reason why the main eight masters were created was to keep creation and destruction balanced. There haven’t been many times in history where the Masters had to join together. Unfortunately, now is one of those times.” 

 

Lloyd could see that the guest was even more confused, and he didn’t blame him. His uncle was always extremely vague when it came to most things. 

 

“I need you to travel,” the Sensei continued. “I found you by a sheer chance of luck, but locating the Masters’ children is not as easy. Tomorrow I will send you with a list, and once you have acquired everyone, you must bring them back here where we can begin training-”

 

“Wait. Wait,” Cole cut in. “Wait. You want me to look for some kids I don’t even know and somehow convince them to travel to a temple in the middle of nowhere to fight something? It’s a miracle I even stayed this long. You think a group of teens is just- magically going to get together?”

 

Wu took Cole’s argument into consideration. After a few seconds of contemplating, he countered, “As you may know, a Master’s power is derived from their soul. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to use our abilities, or summon dragons-”

 

He hasn’t taught me about summoning dragons, Lloyd thought. 

 

“-but that’s beside the point. The soul is a powerful thing. Since all Masters come from the same origin, it is almost as if they are mutually linked. Although they may doubt it at first, they will find it in their soul that together, all of the main eight elements side by side, they are supposed to form a perfect unity.”

 

Lloyd had heard all of this before. Word for word. He wondered if Wu practiced these speeches to himself in the mirror each morning.

 

Cole slowly nodded, a bit more convinced than he was earlier. “Alright. I guess I’ll go.”

 

Wu smiled. “Perfect. I shall prepare your list, rent a car, and send you off on your way tomorrow. Lloyd, would you please lead our guest to an open room?”

 

“Yes, Sensei,” Lloyd said, “but, I was just wondering. Can I go with him?”

 

Wu seemed to not have understood the words that Lloyd was saying. It was like his nephew was speaking a foreign language. 

 

“I think it’s best if both of us could go, so when we’re traveling back it’s all of us,” Lloyd rephrased. 

 

“You cannot do that,” Wu stated.

 

Lloyd was taken back by his response. There was nothing wrong with leaving the temple.

 

“Why not?” he retaliated.

 

“You must train,” Wu said sternly. “You have to always be working towards the best Master you can be.” He looked and sounded baffled. How dare Lloyd suggest leaving? The concept was inhumane. 

 

“But-!” Lloyd tried arguing back.

 

Wu shut him down. “No buts. You are staying here, and that’s final.”

 

Lloyd’s chest felt warm. His hands curled into fists. He tried to repress his anger, but he could only hide it so much. Before he could completely lose his cool, he turned to Cole and led him to a spare bedroom. Anything to get away from Wu.

 

Lloyd swung the door open harder than he intended to.

 

“Here,” he showcased. “The bathroom is just down the hall to the right.”

 

“Thanks,” Cole said awkwardly, putting his bags down. He looked around. “So, uh, about what happened back there…”

 

Lloyd felt like smacking himself on the head. Of course, he had to ruin his first impression on the first new person in ages. 

 

“That was messed up. What your uncle did, I mean,” Cole clarified. “I hate it when people try to monitor everything you do. You have to start advocating for yourself. Make your own decisions. You know?”

 

Lloyd had been told many things. He’s been told about the creation of Masters. He’s heard history lessons on the Serpentine Wars. He’s been told that his destiny is important and that there was no room for error. And he’s heard the story about his father many, many times.

 

But never has he been told this.

 

Speaking up for himself… an entirely new concept. His whole life he’s been living under the rules of his uncle and occasionally his mom. To be able to express his thoughts and feelings was exciting. 

 

Lloyd wanted to thank Cole for enlightening him, or say how much those words meant to him. 

 

The only thing that came out of his mouth, however, was, “Thanks.”

 

Lloyd then left the room, leaving Cole confused yet again with another vague response.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed reading! Come back next week to see how Cole's voyage will go. What will Lloyd do? Will Wu keep him in the temple forever?  
> And most importantly, when will Darreth come into play?  
> See you guys next Monday!


	4. III-Wu-III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Labor Day to those who celebrate! If not, then Happy regular Monday!  
> Back at it again with another update. It's earlier from when I usually update, but that's because I'm gonna be traveling on a plane when I usually update oof  
> But yeah enjoy this chapter and I'll see y'all again soon!

The morning came. Wu got up at the crack of dawn and woke up the two teenagers about an hour or two later.   
Lloyd, as usual, was compliant and was ready for another day of training. The other, Cole, was more reluctant, to say the least. It took him much longer to get ready than it did the nephew.

 

After breakfast, Wu sent Lloyd to do his daily training. The latter obeyed. Wu then spent the next half hour providing Cole with the list of possible whereabouts of the Masters and getting him ready for the adventure. The time came for Cole to leave. 

 

The Master of Earth approached the minivan that Wu had rented the previous night. Complete with eight seats(two in the front, three in the middle, and three in the back), an air conditioning unit, and a radio, the van was a perfect choice. 

 

Cole walked out of the temple wearing dark jeans, black shoes, and a black tank top with the title of a band on it.  
Appropriate enough attire for the weather, Wu decided.

 

Then Cole put on a black and gray hoodie and zipped it up halfway. With the summer heat, Wu did not think that was very wise.  
Cole seemed content, though and he got in the driver's seat and started the car. Once he was down the hill, Wu went back into the temple.

 

He noticed Lloyd’s door was ajar. Upon inspection, Wu found that his nephew’s gi was still sitting in his closet, and the spot where hardly-worn civilian clothes sat was empty.  
Wu rushed into the training grounds, hoping Lloyd was in there battling. As he approached the room, he heard no fighting cries or weapons hitting targets. Wu searched all over the house for the Master of Energy. Every room, every cupboard, high and low for any sign of his nephew. 

 

Lloyd was nowhere to be found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so since this chapter is HELLA SHORT, I decided I am going to update again today! I won't be able to do it for a few hours, but I promise I'll have another chapter up before midnight (PST)  
> Thank you all for reading <3


	5. IV-Cole-IV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's today's second update! And no I totally did not forget what are you talking about.  
> This chapter is also fairly short, but on the bright side, all of the Masters are coming in soon! You just gotta be patient. Enjoy!

Cole felt weird.

 

He wasn’t sure if the sensation was good or bad. He just knew it felt weird.

 

He didn’t want to go back in that temple. Sure, it looked different from the one in his… past experience, but he still didn’t like it. 

 

A large temple. In the middle of nowhere. It took days for the rescue team to finally show up. When they got there, she was- 

 

Cole nearly punched the power button on the radio. The music would distract him. It always does. 

 

He glanced over at the list resting on the passenger seat. 

 

“Master of Lightning-  
Last seen- driving down Sea of Sand Blvd.”

 

Cole had no idea where that was. He’d put it in his phone as soon as he got out of that town. He just had to drive over this speed bump. He hit it, and the whole car bounced up. 

 

In the back, Cole heard a faint thump.

 

“Ow,” a muffled voice whimpered from the trunk. 

 

Cole pulled over and slammed the brakes. 

 

“Lloyd?” the Master of Earth shouted. 

 

The bright-green-eyed and blond-hair kid sheepishly sat up. He wore a guilty smile on his face.

 

“Hey,” Lloyd’s voice cracked in shame. 

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Advocating for myself, like you told me to.”

 

Cole wanted to argue back but he couldn’t find a good response. He DID tell Lloyd that. Besides, he saw no harm in having an extra person here.

 

Cole started the car again and drove. 

 

“Your uncle’s gonna be so pissed at you,” Cole pointed out. Lloyd had begun to climb his way up to shotgun.

 

Putting the list on his lap, Lloyd replied, “Yeah…”

 

\--------

 

“Something’s not right here,” Lloyd said, examining the list Wu had given Cole.

 

“What do you mean?” Cole asked. They have been driving in silence for the past ten minutes or so, and the music was starting to bore Cole. He was thankful that a conversation was starting up. 

 

“Well, there’s eight Masters needed to work together in order to restore balance,” Lloyd explained. “You and I are already taken care of, so that should leave six people on the list, right?”

 

“Solid math,” Cole agreed.

 

“Well, there’s only four. Lightning, Reflection, Fire, and Water.”

 

Cole thought for a second. “Are you sure we’re getting everything?”

 

Lloyd nodded.

 

Cole looked at the GPS on his phone. 

 

“It looks like there’s a library in this town right here,” he said. “Maybe we could like, get some information or something.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

Cole exited the freeway and drove into Birchwood Ville.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Curious as to what Lloyd and Cole will find in the library? Come back next week and see what awaits!  
> This is the very beginning to all of the Masters coming together. If you're desperate for your fave to come in soon, no need to worry. Sooner or later the gang's gonna be together.  
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed! See you next week!


	6. V-Zane-V

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> another Monday, another chapter! This week shines light on the best robot boy, Zane. I would die for him.  
> ANYWAYS, have fun reading! Like I said, it's going to take a bit for things to get rolling, but I hope you guys are entertained nonetheless.   
> Enjoy!

Zane enjoyed the quiet. Working in the library gave him all the quietness he wanted. There was never anything chaotic. Just knowledge and silence. 

 

Two teenagers came in, talking amongst themselves. 

 

“For the love of Saisho, I should not have worn a jacket,” one in green complained. “I just assumed that it was cool enough to wear once since you dressed in all black!”

 

Not recognizing the two newcomers, Zane was interested in their conversation. 

 

The other teen, dressed in all black, shrugged and replied, “I’ve just grown a tolerance for heat, I guess.”

 

The duo walked up to Zane in the help desk. 

 

“Hello,” Zane greeted, “how may I help you two gentlemen today?”

 

The one in green nudged his friend.

 

“We were wondering if you had anything on the Masters,” the one in black said. 

 

Zane smiled. “Of course! Many people have wanted to do research before.” He got up and started walking towards the history section. “So why exactly are you wanting to study this topic?” He grabbed the most informative books on Masters from the shelf.

 

“Oh, you know. Just curious,” the one in green said. It was clear that he wasn’t being entirely true, but Zane didn’t want to call him out on it.

 

Instead, he just smiled again and said, “I will leave you two to your reading. If you need anything else, my name is Zane Julian.”

 

“Cole,” the one in black introduced, and then added, “Hence.”

 

“I’m Lloyd Garmadon,” the one in green greeted with confidence. 

 

Garmadon? Zane thought. Garmadon was the Master of Destruction. A Master's ability was passed down to its kin at birth. If this were Garmadon's biological child, then that would mean...

 

“Uh! I mean-” Lloyd exclaimed, realizing he messed up, “I’m Lloyd GARMODIN. Yeah, Garmodin. Often gets confused with the other one. But I’m not related to Garmadon. At all.”

 

“Nice going,” Cole muttered under his breath.

 

Zane stared at the two blankly. He wasn’t sure if he should confront them on why they were really here, or play along.

 

“It is unwise to begin a sentence with a preposition,” Zane informed. He walked away and sat down at his desk.

 

He tried to restrain from going back there. Still, his curiosity peaked. The one named Lloyd was related to Garmadon. THE Garmadon. He had to be a Master. It was so tempting to know that there was someone with abilities like him in the same building. In addition, who was to say that Cole wasn’t a Master?

 

Zane silently got up and made his way back to the two teens. He stood behind a bookshelf that faced the boys’ backs. Moving some books aside, he made a little opening so he could see them. The two were talking to one another while reading the books Zane gave them.

 

“Saisho, I’m so stupid,” Lloyd scolded himself. “Only an idiot wouldn’t know about my dad. I’m still surprised that you didn’t react when you found out.”

 

“I figured it out when you called Wu your uncle,” Cole said. “I didn’t freak out because you haven’t tried to kill me.” Cole laughed at his joke, but it quickly died down when he noticed Lloyd wasn’t reacting. “Sorry. Bad joke.”

 

Lloyd changed the subject, “Hey, did that library dude seem a little… off to you?”

 

Cole flipped a page. “What do you mean?”

 

“He was nice and all, but he just didn’t seem- I don’t know. Normal? The whole preposition comment. And it seems like he knows something we don’t.”

 

Zane didn’t get offended. He tried to “fit in” with people that were the age he looked like, but he never got it down perfectly. 

 

Cole shrugged. “I mean, I guess.”

 

“Do you think he’s even human?”

 

“He’s definitely not one of those droids,” Cole scoffed. Lloyd looked at Cole, confused. “The ones that patrol the city," Cole explained. "The Borg ones. Those stupid robots only help you if you're rich and privileged. They don’t care if you’re in an emergency if you’re middle class or lower. Those things have no soul. They don’t care for anything.”

 

Lloyd looked at Cole for a bit.

 

“That got dark,” Lloyd stated.

 

Cole’s words echoed in Zane’s mind. He couldn’t help but feel hurt. It shouldn’t have mattered to him. He didn’t know Cole. Cole didn’t know him. Nevertheless, Zane didn't feel... happy. He felt small like he was just another face in the crowd. Or someone hiding behind bookshelves in the background.

 

He never realized what little significance he carried.

 

Zane realized he was tuning out and turned back to the conversation. 

 

“... anything?” Cole was asking. 

 

“Yeah,” Lloyd replied, “I found one of the Masters that wasn’t listed.”

 

“Which one?”

 

Cole’s words still on his mind, Zane decided to confront the teen. 

 

He stepped forward just as Lloyd was answering, “Ice.”

 

“Excuse me gentlemen,” Zane cut in. “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation as I was rearranging the shelves.” He would never admit it, but he didn't really know what he was doing, let alone the goal of his actions. He was never really one to let things play out. 

 

Cole and Lloyd gave each other worried looks. 

 

The librarian continued, “I would just like to inform you that-”

 

“Alright! Fine, you caught us,” Cole confessed, putting his hands up. “We’re Masters. Okay? What are you gonna do about it?”

 

Zane was taken aback. Of course, he assumed that the two were indeed Masters, but he had completely pushed himself away from the thought after the conversation about robots. 

 

Zane blinked a few times. 

 

Then he said slowly, “I had just wanted to inform you that first judgements on certain people- or things- can often be misconstrued. It is unwise to withstand a specific point of view when you have not considered the other part of the argument.”

 

Lloyd looked at the librarian, befuddled, “What?”

 

Before Zane could continue, Cole intruded.

 

“Are you a Master?” he asked, his voice deathly quiet. 

 

Zane paused. That was far from what he was saying. He could say no, but that wouldn’t be the truth. He didn’t know what to reply. Tell the truth, and get off subject? Or get back on track by lying. 

 

Lying felt wrong. It was against everything he's ever been taught. He has, of course, kept secrets, but no one had ever asked about them, so it as never brought up. Zane straightened his posture.

 

“Yes,” he said. “However-”

 

“This is great!” Lloyd exclaimed. “We found a Master by chance. Who knew a calm library man in a sweater vest would be someone we’re looking for?”

 

“So,” Cole wondered, “what’s your power?”

 

Zane replied, “Ice.”

 

The other two Masters fell quiet. 

 

“You weren’t on the list,” Lloyd mumbled. 

 

“What is this ‘list’ you speak of?” Zane asked. 

 

Cole reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. Unfolding it, he explained, “So there’s this old dude named Wu. He’s the Master of Creation. He found me wandering about, and now he’s sent me to find the other main Masters.” He handed the paper to the librarian. Zane inspected it closely. Next to each Master was possible whereabouts of each person. Any and all known information was put down. Zane mainly focused on the Masters.

 

Lightning  
Reflection  
Fire  
Water

 

“You and whatever the last thing is wasn’t listed,” Cole went on.

 

“Interesting…” Zane thought aloud. 

 

“But I’m sure Wu would be happy to see that we found someone else!” Lloyd chipped in. 

 

“You started a sentence with a preposition,” Zane stated.

 

“What did you say your name was?” Cole asked. “Wayne?”

 

“Zane,” the librarian said. 

 

“Right. So, Zane,” Cole offered, “how would you like to join us? Find the other Masters and do balance-type stuff, I mean.”

 

Zane pondered for a moment. He had never left the borders of the town. He’s been working in the library for years. Focusing on his personal training was a side hobby. It was safer in a protected environment.

 

Yet, to be out in the open? If he were to slip up, things wouldn’t go so well with… anybody. Especially Cole. 

 

No. Zane couldn’t stay in the shadows forever. He had to find his true potential. Doing ice tricks in the back room wouldn’t help him forever. 

 

“I will go,” Zane accepted. He would have to quit his job. He could just do it the easy way by walking out and never coming back. “Shall I gather my belongings?”

 

Lloyd and Cole nodded as Zane started walking to the back, where he basically lived.

 

“Here, let us help you out,” Lloyd offered, starting to follow the Ice Master.

 

“No!” Zane shouted. “I mean,” his voice became quieter, “I can do it myself. Thank you.” He couldn’t let Cole and Lloyd see the blueprints scattered around. It would cause too many questions. 

 

Minutes later Zane came outside with multiple bags. He put them in the trunk of the car and sat in the second row of seats.

 

Cole started the car and drove.

 

“Alright,” he announced. “Next stop- Sea of Sands.”

 

\--------

 

They had been driving for a while now. The three Masters talked amongst themselves, learned a little bit about each other. 

 

“So why do you work at the library?” Lloyd asked. “Does someone in your family own it?”

 

Zane nodded. “Yes, it belonged to my fa-”

 

Zane cut himself off. No, that wasn’t right. It wasn’t Zane’s father. 

 

He remembered, forever ago, when he slipped up. The Ice Master was helping out after-hours. The doctor asked for one of the books he was holding.

 

“Here you go, father,” Zane had said that day. He didn’t know what else to call him. All he knew was that he was a doctor. No names were ever given except to the Ice Master himself.

 

The doctor pursed his lips and gave Zane a weak smile. He explained that he wasn’t his father, and it would be unwise to call him by a false title. Zane apologized. It was never brought up again.

 

Zane shook the memory out of his head and continued, “The library was run by my… caretaker.”

 

“Oh,” Lloyd replied. “Cool.”

 

There was no more conversation after that. Cole turned up the volume of the music to fill the empty silence. 

 

Zane still felt indifferent about the Earth Master. He felt like he couldn’t truly be comfortable knowing how Cole would discriminate. Unfortunately, Zane couldn’t approach or confront him yet. The two were still basically strangers. The only thing linking them together was the fact that they had some important role in the world.

 

Maybe, over time, if the two were to become closer together, Zane could come forward and tell the truth. Maybe. 

 

For now, however, Zane would have to remain quiet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed! The Masters will soon be meeting another person to join their happy band. But who could it possibly be? Come back next week when I update yet again  
> PS sorry for updating later than usual! I'll try to be earlier next time  
> PPS feel free to drop a comment anytime!   
> Thanks for reading!


	7. VI-Lloyd-VI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is extremely short, but I'll try to see if I can update again either later tonight or tomorrow. Enjoy!

Zane was odd. Lloyd could admit that. Even so, that didn’t make Lloyd dislike Zane in any way. He was still an interesting person, and if Lloyd had to train with him, then he might as well get used to his weird behavior. 

 

Cole kept his eyes firmly on the road. He focused on getting the job done. Lloyd liked it better when he was chill. Conversations with him were fun. 

 

Lloyd stared out of his window, trying to focus on every little detail. He was glad he snuck out. He was seeing so many new things. Meeting new people. He liked “normal” things. He liked pretending to have a normal life. 

 

“We’re approaching something,” Cole said, bringing Lloyd out of his fantasies. 

 

The Master of Energy peered at the only thing on that road for miles. 

 

“Is that… a junkyard?” he asked.

 

“It appears to be a place where they collect scrap and sell things they make out of the scrap,” Zane explained. 

 

Cole raised his shoulders. “Well, this is the only lead we have on Lightning. Might as well see what-” he read the sign “-Ed and Edna know.” 

 

They pulled up by the front gate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another Master to be discovered! Once again, I'll try updating either tomorrow or later on tonight because of the really short chapter. Sorry about that, guys!  
> Thank you all for reading! It means a lot to me. Feel free to drop a comment any time!


	8. VII-Jay-VII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyyyyoooooooo I'm here with another chapter due to the last one being super short  
> The next chapter will be next Monday! Thank you all for reading, and enjoy the chapter centering the best blue boy

The first time Jay discovered he had lightning powers, he cried. 

 

He probably would have thought it was cool, or that he was some sort of superhero if it weren’t for the dreams.

 

Actually, they were more nightmares than dreams. 

 

The first time he used his lightning ability was when he was three. He was messing around with some of the machines his dad built when he noticed that one of them wouldn’t turn on. He opened up the panel (because that’s what he saw his parents do whenever a machine was broken) and started poking around at the wires. He felt a tingly sensation come from his fingertips and saw a small lighting bolt emerging from it. He jumped off the machine, did it again, and sobbed. 

 

Jay didn’t want to be with his dreams. He wanted his life to stay as far away from them as possible. Whenever something remotely familiar happens in real life that happened in his dreams, he would panic.

 

But that hasn’t happened in almost a year now. 

 

It was summer, and Jay finally finished a project he’d be working on all school year. He stood at the top of a hill of scrap, ready to jump.   
He extended his arms out, letting the handmade wings spread. If this worked, he would fly around the junkyard before landing. If he couldn’t fly, then at least he would be able to glide. 

 

He looked over at his mobile home placed by the entrance. His parents were talking to a small group of people. 

 

Jay considered backing off and waiting for the people to leave, but his confidence told him that if this worked, it would make a good impression on the potential-shoppers down below. His parents' shop got the most business during vacations and holidays, but he always wanted to lend an extra hand to show his worth. Surely, his powers weren't the only thing to give him worth.

 

He took a deep breath in. Then out. 

 

It was go time. 

 

Jay backed up a bit before running and leaping off the hill. He spread his arms out wide and tried to catch some wind. He flapped his arms a few times and realized it wasn’t working.

 

Okay, he thought to himself, that’s okay. I’ll just glide. Nice and eas-

 

But gliding wasn’t working either. In fact, all the wings seemed to do was hurl Jay towards his parents and the customers. 

 

Shit.

 

He tried steering away but that helped nothing. He kept falling towards the group. Panic rose in his chest as the ground got closer and closer.

 

His mind blared the same three words. YOU'REGONNACRASHYOU'REGONNACRASHYOU'REGONNA-

 

He crashed.

 

He hit the floor and slid a little. His face burned, both from humiliation and pain. 

 

Miraculously, there wasn’t a single scratch on Jay. Still, the mental toll was greater than the physical one.

 

Jay quickly stood up and waved gingerly, his eyes closed. 

 

“Sorry about that,” he laughed. “Stupid thing wouldn’t work. But that’s fine! Fine, totally fine. Anyways, I’m gonna go now.”

 

He opened his eyes and saw that his invention was tattered. There was no way he could fix it. He spent all those nights after school for a heap of metal and fabric. He’d have to all over start again.

 

Jay picked it up as if the fact didn't bother him, chuckled, and was about to leave when he heard one of his parents speak.

 

“That’s our son we were telling you about. Jay!” his mom said happily.

 

Jay turned his attention to see who his parents were talking to. His stomach suddenly became tight when he saw the three teenagers his parents were talking to. His heart dropped. 

 

“Our son is a very special boy,” his dad added cheerfully. “I’m sure he’d be happy to know you, fine gentlemen!”

 

But that was exactly the thing.

 

He knew these people. He’s seen them all before. His nightmares.

 

Images flashed in his mind. The flying boat. Disappearing one by one. Trapped. Kidnapped. Colors suffocating as they turn into gold. A gun. It fires and then-

 

“I have to go,” Jay said. He ran into the house and sat on the bed, wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans. 

 

He’s seen them before. All of them. Weren’t there more? He knew them. They were his friends. And… didn’t the one in the sweater vest look different?

 

Jay calmed down a bit. He didn’t realize how heavy his breathing was and how fast his heart was beating until he slowed down. 

 

Different.   
The one in the sweater vest. He was more… silver? Jay couldn’t quite remember. No matter, though. It wasn’t the exact same. These people were not the same. He didn't really know them. They didn't know him. It was all in his head. It was okay. He was okay.

 

His dad walked in.

 

“Are you okay, son?” he asked, sitting next to Jay. “Were you upset about your invention failing?”

 

Jay had almost forgotten about falling from the sky. 

 

“Oh,” Jay replied. “Yeah. I was upset about that. B-but I'm fine now."

 

Jay thought about his dreams again. Why were those people here? Was there anything else that was the same? It shouldn't have mattered to him, but he wanted to know.

 

He stood up and walked outside. His dad followed shortly after.

 

“If you need anything else, I’m Edna,” his mom was saying. 

 

The three nodded and looked at Jay, who was now standing next to his mom.

 

The one in black- did Jay know his name? Wasn’t it close to a rock?- was staring at Jay. He kept looking at him with a look in his eye.

 

Why was he staring? Was it because of Jay’s humiliating failure not even ten minutes ago? Or did he know Jay also…?

 

The teen in black kept staring. It made Jay a little flustered. 

 

“Hi,” Jay greeted. 

 

Sweater vest boy smiled. “Hello!” 

 

The one in green also smiled.

 

He said, “Hey. I’m Lloyd. This is Cole and Zane.” Hearing those names, Jay suddenly realized that he heard and remembered them before. Not clearly, but they were definitely in the back of his mind. “We’re just stopping by.”

 

Jay tried to think back to his dreams, even though he hated it. Obviously, he had the power of lighting, and the other people had powers of their own. It was hard to remember what powers they used to fight when Jay didn't even want to be in this position. Still, he felt like this was happening for a reason. If only he could remember-

 

“Energy,” he said suddenly. He looked at the other two. “And- and you’re Ice. And you’re Earth.”

 

The three stared at Jay, shocked. 

 

“I…” Cole stammered. “What?”

 

“Jay,” his mom said, her tone serious. “Can we talk to you inside for a moment?”

 

Jay realized he screwed up. He shouldn’t have said that. His parents were well aware of Masters and all that, but he should have never opened his mouth. Saisho, why was he so stupid? 

 

Jay kept cursing himself as he began to walk inside.

 

“Wait,” Lloyd stopped Jay from going in. “How did you know?” 

 

Jay didn’t speak for a few seconds. He didn’t want to speak. He just wanted to disappear or redo all of his actions. This was a mistake. He wished-

 

“It’s kinda stupid,” Jay finally said at last. “It’s just a dream I had. Probably didn’t mean anything though.” He chuckled. “I mean, since when do dreams matter, right?” He thought he fooled them. He always plays it off, and every time people buy it.

 

Zane shook his head. “Dreams have been known to have sentimental value. A dream, especially one when given information, should never go unnoted.”

 

“So it is the dreams,” Jay’s dad said from behind. His tone was sorrowful and filled with betrayal. “Son, you said your nightmares stopped when you were ten!”

 

“I know! I did-they did!” Jay lied defensively. “This was a different dream. I swear.”

 

“Jay,” his mom comforted sweetly. "You know you can talk to us."

 

Jay ignored her. “Why are you here?” he asked the three Masters. 

 

“I’m looking at you,” Cole replied, a little too quickly. “I mean- we’re looking for you. And others. People. Sorry. Suck at talking.”

 

“Preposition,” Zane mumbled silently.

 

“We’re looking for the main eight Masters,” Lloyd corrected for Cole. He glanced at Ed and Edna, a bit wary. "For fun..."

 

"They know," Jay told them. "They won't like call the cops or anything." He felt anxious-sweat go down his back.

 

Zane said, "I am assuming you are a Master."

 

“I- yeah,” Jay replied, looking back and forth between the Masters and his parents.

 

His mom held on closely to her husband.

 

“Does he have to go?” she asked in a small voice. 

 

“We’re looking for the other Masters because there might be an imbalance,” Lloyd explained. “It would be nice to get them all under one roof to train and whatnot. Your son doesn’t have to go if he doesn’t want to, but we believe that it's for the better if he does.”

 

“Jay-” his dad began to say.

 

“I’ll go,” Jay decided. “I’ll start packing.”

 

\--------

 

“Are you crazy?” His dad exclaimed. Jay was shoving his entire wardrobe into a suitcase. 

 

“I know you said I should never tell anyone,” Jay said, continuing to pack. “But this could be a big opportunity for me! We read about the Masters in school, and it seems like my powers can be used for something bigger than building.”

 

“Sweetie,” his mom said, “we know you’re powerful. We really do. We just don’t want you to get hurt. Your father and I promised that we would protect you.”

 

“And that we would keep you away from danger,” his dad added. 

 

Jay finished packing the last of his things. He swung a backpack full of his belongings and picked up his suitcase. 

 

“I’ll be okay. That’s MY promise,” the Lighting Master said. 

 

His parents stared at him.

 

“Jay,” his dad said slowly, “we trust your decision.”

 

“But please come back if anything happens,” his mom begged. "We wouldn't know what to do with ourselves if you got hurt."

 

“I will,” Jay reassured with a smile. “Thanks.”

 

Ed put a hand on Jay's shoulder. "We love you, son."

 

"Love you, too."

 

\--------

 

“Welcome to the team, Jay,” Lloyd introduced after putting Jay’s belongings in the trunk. “The rest of us are interested to get to know you.”

 

“Yeah,” Cole agreed.

 

“I am more interested in this dream you had,” Zane confessed. 

 

Jay replied, “I would prefer not to.”

 

The four Masters got into the car and drove away from the junkyard.

 

It felt strange. Traveling with people he did and didn’t know. They probably already thought Jay was weird. Besides, the only knowledge of these people Jay had was from his dreams.

 

One of them did look familiar from real life, though. Those dark brown eyes, the muscular jawline. Like a face Jay had seen from years ago. Maybe like someone from school?

 

Oh. oH. 

 

“OH,” Jay said aloud. 

 

The other three looked at Jay curiously. The Lightning Master saw that his words came out louder than he wanted them to. He ignored any embarrassing thoughts from his head.

 

“Didn’t we used to go to the same middle school?” Jay asked, pointing to Cole. 

 

“Did we?” the Earth Master tried to remember from the driver's seat. “Clay Middle School, maybe? I went there in sixth grade.”

 

“Yeah! There! You just vanished the year after. Where did you go?”

 

“I, uh, switched schools.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“So, uh,” Cole said to the whole party, “it says on the list that the Master of Reflection should live somewhere east of Baransu.”

 

“Baransu? As in city-that’s-right-next-to-the-royal-capital Baransu?” Jay shrieked. “Also, what list?”

 

“The list tells us where we may find the Master of a given ability,” Zane explained.

 

"Like an element?"

 

“That is not scientifically correct," Zane continued. "Next to Lightning, it gave us a street name.” He handed Jay the list.

 

Jay scanned the list and did some quick math. He said, “That’s weird. It says that I was driving down that street when I was only, like, a month old.”

 

“Perhaps it was the previous Master of Lightning,” Zane offered.

 

“Speaking of which,” Lloyd spoke up, “did you get your powers from your mom or your dad?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Jay said.

 

“What? How do you not know?”

 

“Never asked, I guess.”

 

Everyone fell quiet. Cole continued to drive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you liked reading this chapter! I'll be back on Monday with another update. Jay is always one of my favorite characters to write and interact with, so I hope this satisfies any Jay fans!  
> Once again, thank you for reading and feel free to drop a comment!


	9. VIII-Cole-VIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyyyyyyyy, so this chapter is also short, sorry about that guys. Unfortunately, there won't be another update until next Monday, but in the meantime enjoy this sweet and gay chapter.  
> I will now sacrifice this chapter to the bruiseshippers. Enjoy!

'Don’t look behind you, keep your eyes on the road.'

 

Cole kept repeating that phrase in his head. He couldn’t let himself get distracted. He knew he’d crash the car if he turned around, because if he turned around, he’d start staring, and if he stared, he’d pay no attention to the road, and if he paid no attention to the road-

 

Yeah. 

 

He kept driving towards Baransu.

 

“I’m hungry,” Jay announced. “Are we almost there?”

 

It took all of Cole’s willpower to not turn around and look into Jay’s eyes. His wonderful, lightning blue eyes-

 

“Yeah,” Cole replied, his tone flat. “Just a few more minutes. What do you guys want for lunch?”

 

“What about noodles?” Lloyd suggested. “That’s… pretty much all the dishes I know.”

 

“I believe you meant ‘That is pretty much the only dish I know’,” Zane input. 

 

“I love noodles,” Cole smiled. “That sounds great.”

 

Jay cheered, “Heck yeah! Noodles!”

 

Cole turned around. He saw Jay’s joyful face, his eyes closed with delight and his bright smile. The way he had his arms up like he was rooting for something...

 

“COLE,” Lloyd shouted, “CAR!”

 

Cole looked at the road again and saw he was about to ram into another car. He swerved to the side and pulled up in front before continuing at normal speed.

 

Cole laughed nervously. “Heh, sorry about that.”

 

“Maybe next time, try not to get so distracted by noodles,” Jay laughed along.

 

“Right. Noodles.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry for such a short chapter. I hope y'all liked it nonetheless.  
> Hopefully, I satisfied the needs for those who ship bruise lol. If this ship isn't your thing, I completely understand and respect your preferences, however, this is going to be one of the major ships mentioned in this story (spoilers much?)  
> Thanks for reading! I'll update again next Monday. Until then, feel free to drop a comment  
> Have a great day!


	10. IX-Skylor-IX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy spooky season!!!! Back at it again with another Monday update. This month would be a really great time to have some focus on a certain spooky character :)...  
> BUT unfortunately, we are a VERY long way from that! For now, let's focus on the gang getting noodles! Yay!

“I want the Shrimp Bowl, but instead of shrimp, give me chicken,” a customer ordered.

 

Skylor paused before putting the order in the register. 

 

“Ma’am,” Skylor stated, “the Chicken Bowl is cheaper than the Shrimp Bowl. Are you sure you don’t want to order the Chicken Bowl instead?” 

 

“I asked for the Shrimp Bowl, didn’t I?” the customer snapped. 

 

“I know ma’am, I’m just saying-”

 

“Give me a Shrimp Bowl but with chicken instead of shrimp!” 

 

Skylor sighed, annoyed. “Right away. That’ll be $12.99.” 

 

The customer handed Skylor a credit card. Skylor swiped it and gave it back.

 

“You’re order number 49,” the cashier said, handing a receipt.

 

The customer snatched it and stormed off. Skylor groaned and rolled her eyes as soon as the customer couldn’t see her. 

 

The door opened. A party of four walked in. She looked at the time. She just had to take these orders and her shift would be over.

 

Skylor eyed the incoming customers as they approached the register. 

 

All four of them looked like they were her age. That was somewhat a relief to her. Younger people gave her an easier time than older people. 

 

“Hi, welcome to Chen’s,” she greeted. “What can I get you today?”

 

A teen wearing all black examined the menu above Skylor. 

 

“I’ll have a large of the Everything Bowl,” he said. “With extra soy sauce. And a side of wonton crisps. A large drink. Three rice bowls. Also, a small bowl of plain noodles.”

 

“Ordering for everyone?” Skylor asked, concerned for this boy’s health.

 

“Nope. All for me.”

 

“Dandy.”

 

A teen in blue spoke up, “Ooh! Can I have the limited edition rainbow noodles?”

 

Skylor looked the teen in the eye. “That’s on the Kid’s Menu.”

 

“What, like it’s against the law?”

 

Skylor couldn’t help but laugh a bit. “Just making sure. What about for the other two?”

 

“Just a regular serving of noodles, thanks,” one in green smiled. “What about you Zane?”

 

The teen wearing mostly white- Zane- said, “Oh, I am quite alright. I do not need lunch.”

 

“Dude, seriously?” the teen who ordered a feast asked. “When was the last time you ate?”

 

Zane gave in. “I will have the same as Lloyd, please.”

 

Skylor looked back and forth between the four. She assumed that the one giving a small wave was Lloyd and put in the order.

 

“Alright, you’re total is $37.82,” she told the group. 

 

Feast-teen took out his wallet.

 

“I’ll pay,” he said. “Mine’s probably cost the most.”

 

“Probably?” the teen in blue echoed.

 

Feast-teen gave Skylor the money, and she returned the change. 

 

“You’re order number 50. Have a nice day!” Skylor said. 

 

The group thanked her and went to a table. 

 

A moment later, Skylor clocked out and changed out of her work uniform. She grabbed her bag and walked into the dining area. 

 

As she walked towards the exit, she saw the group she just served. Three of them were eating modestly, but Feast-teen was inhaling his food. Skylor snickered, almost envious at the group of friends. 

 

Her hand touched the door handle. 

 

Friends… that must’ve been a nice thing to have. But nobody wanted to be friends with the girl with the crazy dad. 

 

She walked over to the group. 

 

“Hey,” she said, breaking the conversation the four were having. “My shift just got over. Is it cool if I sit here?”

 

Part of her thought it was crazy. She was a complete stranger to these people. 

 

“Sure,” Lloyd said. Skylor pulled up a chair and sat down. 

 

“I’m Skylor by the way,” she introduced herself. “Sorry for intruding, I just didn’t know where else to hang out.”

 

“No problem,” Feast-teen said with a mouth full of noodles. “We were just talking about-”

 

“Things!” the one in blue shouted. “Things that only we know. Secret things. Right, Cole?” 

 

Skylor tilted her head. “Okay?” 

 

“Do not mind Jay,” Zane said. “We have only known him for a short time, but it is easy to notice that he often gets over excited about certain subjects.” 

 

Skylor laughed. 

 

“So what ‘secret things’ were you guys talking about?” she questioned, using air quotes. 

 

The four looked at each other, looking like they were deciding whether or not they should tell her.

 

“Masters,” Zane answered. “We are discussing Masters.”

 

“Oh, cool,” Skylor replied. “Y’know, my dad used to say I was a Master. He said that I was special and I got it from my mom, but,” she paused to let out a small laugh, “he’s a crazy dude.”

 

Lloyd, Zane, Jay, and Cole looked at Skylor with bewildered eyes. 

 

“Are you sure he was joking?” Lloyd asked, voice low. Skylor wasn’t sure if HE was joking or not. 

 

“Uh, yes?” she answered, though she felt a little uncertain. “The only believable thing to come out of his mouth was ‘I opened a noodle shop and I want you to run it when you’re old enough’. Not exactly the most trustworthy guy.”

 

“Your dad is Chen?” Jay asked, getting off subject. “I thought he got locked up or something. He’s still running this place?”

 

“Do you look up noodle history or something?” Cole wondered. 

 

“You’d be surprised on how many things I’ve discovered while procrastinating homework.” 

 

Skylor answered, “Some other dude runs it now. Along with a bunch of other businesses. He’s kind of a swindle, but I needed a summer job, and this is the only place I got hired.”

 

“Aside from that point- though, I’m sorry to hear about your dad…” Lloyd said. 

 

Skylor shrugged it off. “It’s fine.”

 

“You don’t have any powers?” Lloyd asked for confirmation.

 

“Fire hasn’t exactly appeared out of the palm of my hand,” Skylor said. She wondered why these people were so on her case about this. That's what she got for talking to strangers, she supposed.

 

Lloyd still looked unconvinced. 

 

“I’m telling you-” Skylor was saying. Before she could finish, something flew straight towards her face. Almost as if she were programmed, she grabbed it out of the air, twirled it between her fingers, and shot it back in the opposite direction. The thing went the same speed, same distance, same force. Everything.

 

It hit Zane square in the face. It was a chopstick, the five could now see, as it rolled back onto the table.

 

“Holy crap,” Jay breathed. “That was some ninja-stuff right there.”

 

Cole stared at Skylor in awe. “It’s like that move was copied.” He tried to find the words. “Or maybe it was reused? Or-”

 

“Reflected,” Zane said. 

 

“Do you usually have reflexes like that?” Lloyd asked. 

 

Skylor felt exposed. She had always had moves like that, but she just thought they were just reflexes, nothing more. She told this to the four boys.

 

“As I suspected,” Zane stated, “you are the Master of Reflection. It comes as no surprise that you did not notice this. It is a difficult thing to pick up on, as I’ve researched.” 

 

Skylor was at loss for words. A Master. It couldn’t be possible. Still, she could have gotten it from her mom. She never knew her…

 

The only thing Skylor said was, “Is that why you threw a chopstick at my face?”

 

Zane nodded. 

 

“What the hell.”

 

\--------

 

“Wait, so let me get this straight,” Skylor revised. “You four are Masters, and you want me to come with you to restore balance or something?”

 

The five Masters have been sitting for almost thirty minutes now, explaining to Skylor the whole situation.

 

“Exactly,” Lloyd nodded. “All we need to do now is find the Masters of Fire and Water. So, what do you say? Are you coming with us?”

 

Skylor looked to the side. “I’m not sure. I don’t know you guys. At all. And it kind of sounds ridiculous.”

 

“We hardly know each other!” Cole pointed out. “It’s like one big group of strangers.”

 

“I don’t think that’s helping, Cole,” Jay stated.

 

“Sorry.” 

 

Skylor continued, “I have a job.” 

 

“As did I,” Zane informed. “However, sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the greater good. Sacrifices to protect those who cannot protect themselves. Restoring balance is much more important to me as an individual than a job.”

 

“Zane’s right,” Lloyd said. “But if you want to stay here, that’s your decision.”

 

The four threw away their plates and walked out the exit, leaving Skylor by herself.

 

She sat at the table, contemplating. Everything seemed to be moving by so fast. She wasn’t sure what she should do. The whole thing seemed unbelievable, plus she still needed a job...

 

“Excuse me!” she heard a customer yell by the register. “I asked for a Shrimp Bowl with chicken instead of shrimp, and I got charged extra? I demand to speak to the person in charge!”

 

“Ma’am,” the current cashier tried to calm the customer down, “that’s the tax.”

 

“No, it’s not! You’re robbing me! You’re stealing my money!”

 

Skylor stood up and walked outside. She saw the four Masters getting inside a car. She casually sat down in a seat and buckled her seat belt. The four boys stared at her bewilderingly. 

 

“Let’s stop by my place first so I can get my things,” she told them.

 

Maybe quitting wasn’t so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Skylor is a great character in my opinion, and she never really got to show her potential in the show (season 9 was amazing for her, though; don't get me wrong), and she's just a cool character in general so I decided, why not make her a main character?  
> I'll be back next week with another chapter. We're almost there guys!!! To the main plot!! Wow, this is taking so long!!  
> Cya, and thank you for reading!


	11. X-Jay-X

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Sorry for the late update, I may or may not have forgotten hehe  
> ANY WAY, please enjoy this chapter! Thank you!

Jay was in a cave. 

 

It was dark. He could barely make up the shapes of the rocks around him. 

 

And there was something in the shadows. 

 

He could hear it. Moving against the ground. Its teeth chattering. Its venom dripping from its fangs. It could have been anywhere.

 

Jay took a step back, canteen in hand. He just needed one little drop and-

 

A giant spider leaped out at Jay, fangs bare, arms holding him down. Jay let out a terrified scream.

 

Then he woke up. 

 

He panted and looked around. Where was he? Who were these people?

 

Right. He was in a car. He was with Skylor, Cole, Zane, and Lloyd. They were looking for Fire and Water. 

 

Jay calmed down and looked at his hands. It was okay. He was okay. 

 

“Ah, you are awake,” Zane said. 

 

Jay laughed it off. “Yeah, sorry about that. I’m tired.” 

 

Skylor sat on the opposite side of Jay, leaving Zane squished in the middle.

 

“You moved a lot when you were asleep,” she informed. 

 

"Thanks."

 

“Where are we heading now, Cole?” Lloyd asked, ignoring the conversation in the backseat. 

 

“The list says that both the Fire and Water Master worked in a blacksmith shop in Ignacia,” Cole said. “It’s called Four Weapons.”

 

“Four Weapons?” Lloyd echoed. “Sounds interesting.”

 

“Do you think they’re like, really buff strong dudes?” Jay suggested. “I mean, from what shows I’ve watched, blacksmiths are pretty scary dudes.”

 

Zane furrowed his brow. “You should not make assumptions because of the way the media portrays something.”

 

“I guess we’ll just have to see when we get there,” Skylor said. 

 

Everyone fell silent.

 

“But, seriously,” Jay broke the quietness, “do blacksmiths even still exist?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh this is really short I'm sorry about that. I've had like little to no motivation this past week. I am dead inside.
> 
> Next week's update will be longer! Thank you for reading and be back next Monday! Bye!


	12. XI-Kai-XI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Fun fact that doesn't relate to this chapter- I added the wrong co-author and I don't know how to remove it! So yeah that's my life  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thank you!

Kai dipped the smoldering blade into the large bucket of water. 

 

“Alright, sir,” Kai said, placing it down on the desk, “your sword is ready. I’ll just get my sister to wrap it up for you and then-” 

 

He turned around to signal his sister, but she wasn’t there. Kai looked back at the customer sheepishly.

 

“Sorry ‘bout that,” he apologized. He got the protective wrap and covered up the sword. “Here you go.” He handed the weapon to the customer. After paying a large amount of money, the customer left.

 

Kai, not worried someone new would walk in, made his way to the back where he and his sister lived.

 

A modern pop song played from his sister’s phone as she tinkered around with a microwave.

 

“Nya,” he said, obviously annoyed. “Where were you?”

 

“Back here,” she replied, not taking her eyes off her project.

 

“You were supposed to be helping out.”

 

“And what for? No one buys a sword these days. Anyone who does is either a cocky know-it-all with a large ego or a maniac.”

 

Kai knew it was the truth. The customer he just served was some frat boy saying he wanted a weapon to “impress the ladies”. Kai made the flimsiest sword he could on purpose. He didn't even wait the appropriate amount of time for it to cool.

 

“Still,” Kai stated, “it’s a business, and- what are you doing to the microwave?”

 

Nya smiled brightly. “I’m improving it!”

 

“Be careful,” her brother warned. “Water and electricity don’t mix.”

 

Nya rolled her eyes. “I haven’t died yet, have I?”

 

“What even are you doing?”

 

“Making it so it cooks food faster.”

 

Kai scoffed. “I can already do that.”

 

Nya slammed the panel with all of the wires shut. She then picked up the microwave and put it on the kitchen table. It wasn't very far from where she was. Their house was extremely small. Everything was crammed together in the back of the shop.

“We should be using our powers to help people,” she sighed. “What good is being a Master if we’re stuck in this weapons shop all our lives?”

 

“It won’t be forever,” Kai pointed out. “Mom and Dad told us that as soon as we graduate high school, we can ditch the shop.”

 

“We can ditch it right now. Mom and Dad are on another island.”

 

“Nya Sumisu suggesting we break the rules?” Kai teased. “Are you even my sister?” Nya laughed along.

 

The two heard the door open from the shop.

 

“Customers,” Kai said, almost complaining. “Are you gonna help out this time?”

 

Nya shrugged. “Why not?” She threw on her leather jacket that was hanging on a chair and walked out with her brother. 

 

Kai was expecting a single person, maybe an old man looking for a trophy to hang on his wall. He wasn’t expecting five kids his age. 

 

There was a pretty cute girl within the group. Kai wondered if he should attempt to flirt with her, but was held back at the fact that the other four teens were boys. 

 

“Welcome to Four Weapons,” he greeted hesitantly. “Can I interest you in any swords?”

 

One of the teenagers’ face lit up.

 

“A sword?” he exclaimed. “Like in anime? Can blacksmiths make anime swords?”

 

Kai shot a look at his sister.

 

“We’re not here to get a sword, Jay,” another teen said. He was taller than the first kid and looked stronger too. Not to mention the drastic skin contrast and hair. 

 

“These look like pretty cool swords, though,” the girl commented, browsing. 

 

Kai took this as a sign to act immediately. 

 

“I know, right?” Kai replied, leaning against the front desk. “You know, I made all of these myself.” He felt a hand being smacked against the back of his head.

 

“You had some help, idiot,” Nya remarked. 

 

Another teen walked up front and tried to confront the two siblings.

 

“Hi, I’m Lloyd,” he smiled. “Now this might seem kind of weird, but-”

 

“Holy crap!” Jay, the kid from earlier, shouted. “These almost look exactly like Ken’s katanas from Tatakai o Tatakau! I loved that anime when I was in seventh grade.”

 

“Do you want me to make you one or do you wanna buy it?” Kai offered.

 

Lloyd kept trying to talk, “We’re looking for Ma-”

 

“The hilt on this blade is off,” a teen in a sweater vest pointed out. 

 

The girl gave all of them death glares. “Guys. Lloyd is trying to do something important.”

 

Kai got more and more pissed with every interruption. 

 

“Are you guys buying something or not?” he snapped.

 

Lloyd looked to the side. “Well, uh, no, but-”

 

Conversation all burst out at once. The only one who didn’t say anything was Nya.

 

“Then why are you here?!”

 

“We came here because we thought Masters of-”

 

“A buki is a real sword!”

 

“Why is everyone yelling?”

 

“The proportions of it are completely unrealistic-”

 

“Everyone needs to calm down and focus!”

 

“You can’t just come waltzing in here with no explanation-”

 

“We need Fire and Water-”

 

“If I hear one more anime thing from you I will snap.”

 

“I still want a sword-”

 

“A sword would not be well suited for you, though. You may want to try-”

 

“Everyone, please-”

 

Nya slammed her fists on the table.

 

“EVERYBODY, QUIET!” she screamed. The whole room became dead as all of the people looked over at her. “Kai, don’t you understand?”  
Kai, still slightly pissed, shook his head. 

 

“They’re Masters!” Nya exclaimed. She turned to the other five. “You are, aren’t you?”

 

The one in the sweater vest nodded. “You are as well, correct? Masters of Fire and Water.”

 

Kai got into a defensive stance. “How’d you know?”

 

"How did SHE know?" Jay asked in the same tone, probably mocking Kai.

 

“We were looking for the main Masters,” the teen in all black explained. “This old dude named Wu- he’s the Master of Creation- he gave me and Lloyd this list to help find us the other Masters-”

 

“The correct statement is ‘Lloyd and I,’” the one in the sweater vest corrected. 

 

“-and Fire and Water were said to be here.”

 

Kai let his guard down a bit. “So what do you want with us?”

 

“This is an opportunity,” Nya said. “We have a chance to use our powers. To help others. Kai, isn’t this amazing? We can finally show the world what we’re capable of doing!”

 

Kai eyed the group suspiciously. He thought Nya was getting a little ahead of herself. “I don’t know, sis. We don’t even know all their names.”

 

“We’re right here, ya know,” the one wearing black remarked. 

 

Lloyd said, “We can tell you! The one talking about swords is Jay, the smart one is Zane, the strong one is Cole, and the one in the red hair is Skylor.” 

 

“Skylor, huh?” Kai tried out the name. “Sounds nice.”

 

Skylor smirked. “Thanks. Your name is pretty cool too.”

 

“It sounds like an anime character,” Jay commented. 

 

Kai glared at Jay. If he mentioned anime one more time, Kai would tear off a sword from a wall and stab him.

 

“If you come back to the monastery with us, we could begin training,” Lloyd explained. “We’re not exactly sure what the threat is just yet, but we know it’s coming. And we also know that the only way to stop it is with the power of the Masters.”

 

“Tempting,” Kai said. He honestly didn’t know what to do. If he chose to go with these strangers, this would open up so many unknown possibilities. Anything could happen, and if he was being totally honest… that kind of scared him.

 

On the other hand, if he didn’t go he’d seem like a jerk and the world might end. Plus, he felt like he could really get close with Skylor.

 

“We’ll go,” Nya decided before Kai could even speak. “Come on, Kai. Let’s start packing.” She went straight to the back, leaving Kai by himself. The Fire Master awkwardly shrugged before following his sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyooo! Thank you for reading! I have the next chapter (Nya's perspective) ready, so I may just drop the chapter tomorrow... what do you guys think?  
> Anywhom, I'll be off for the day, but feel free to drop a comment! Once again thank you so much for reading
> 
> Adios!


	13. XII-Nya-XII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmmmmmmmonday

Nya knew she would like the team she was working with. She seemed to click with them instantly like there was some million-year-old instinct that naturally drew them together.

 

She was glad she wasn’t the only girl there. Skylor made great company. But there wasn’t a lot they had in common. Skylor mostly talked about her days at work. She didn’t talk much about anything else.

 

When Nya tried asking Skylor about her past life, Skylor kept on giving vague answers. Either she didn’t want to talk about her personal life, or she was too busy ogling Kai. 

 

Nya didn’t mind though. There were still five other new people to meet during the long car ride to a monastery. 

 

“So you’re Cole, right?” she asked the driver.

 

Cole had to turn down the music because it was hard to hear her from the very back seat.

 

“Huh?” he asked.

 

“You’re Cole?” Nya repeated.

 

“Oh. Yeah.”

 

“Tell me about yourself.”

 

Cole shot a look to Nya, seeming like he wasn’t sure if she was being serious or not. 

 

Focusing his eyes back on the road, he said, “Well, I’m seventeen. Was sent to this stupid Marty Oppenheimer camp but then I ran away. It’s how I met Wu. And now I’m here. Driving six strangers to an old man’s fancy house.”

 

“Marty Oppenheimer?” Jay exclaimed. “Cliff Gordon went there before launching off into an acting career!”

 

“Cliff who?” Lloyd asked, now turned in his seat to face the Masters. 

 

“Cliff Gordon,” Jay explained. “He plays Fritz Donnegon in Star Ferrer. I based my entire outfit off of him! The dude’s my role model. The only thing I don’t have is his scarf…”

 

“I used to read Star Ferrer,” Lloyd shared, “when I was around nine or ten. I could never get into the comics because I was too busy with training. I didn’t know they made those into a movie franchise.”

 

Nya smiled at Jay. The Lightning Master had his own unique charm that Nya just adored. Watching him get excited like a little puppy warmed her heart.

 

“Star Ferrer,” Zane said, almost as if he were reciting something. “A discontinued comic series that was turned into a movie franchise sixteen years ago. Although it is widely popular, many critics argue that the comic series was better.”

 

“IT WAS NOT!” Jay screamed. 

 

“Woah, dude, chill,” Kai tried calming down Jay. “It’s just an opinion.”

 

“Funny how the Fire Master is telling someone to chill,” Skylor teased, smirking at Kai. 

 

“Come on guys,” Nya said, “I’m sure Jay has his reasons.”

 

“Cliff Gordon does an excellent job as Fritz Donegan,” Jay defended. “Plus, he’s in perfect health and condition and in no way will he die soon.”

 

Everyone became silent at the strange (yet valid?) point Jay made.

 

“Okay,” Cole said. “Y’know, I think it’s kind of cu- cool that you’re so close to this dude.” Jay smiled fondly.

 

Nya was amazed by how cute he was. His freckles, his laugh… She hardly knew the kid and already loved everything about him. 

 

“So- Zane, was it?” Kai began. “You seem to know a bunch about these Star-gon movies. How many have you seen.”

 

“I have seen zero movies from the Star Ferrer franchise,” Zane answered. “However, there were a few books containing information about both the comics and movies back at the library I used to work at.” 

 

Nya raised an eyebrow. Zane was a strange guy. She figured he spent a lot of time researching random topics. 

 

“How much longer to go, Cole?” Lloyd asked.

 

Cole looked at the GPS on his phone. “It looks like it’s gonna be another two hours.”

 

“Two hours?” Kai groaned. 

 

“Cole,” Zane suggested, “perhaps I should take the wheel for the remainder of the drive. I am knowledgeable in the actions of driving and you should not be tiring yourself out too much.”

 

“I’m fine,” Cole yawned. 

 

“I think Zane’s right, Cole,” Jay said. “I’m tired and I’m supposed to be the energetic one.”

 

“You are?” Kai joked. “I thought you were just a spaz.”

 

“Speak for yourself, Kai,” Nya fired back. Now that she thought of it, she was actually getting pretty sleepy herself. It’d be nice to lay down and take a nap. 

 

“Alright,” Cole surrendered, pulling to the side of the road. “You better wake us up when we get there, though.”

 

“Understood,” Zane nodded.

 

The two Masters swapped places. By the time Zane had the car running, nearly everyone was knocked out. Being sure to drive carefully so no one would wake up, he continued down the road.

 

Nya was the last one to fall asleep. The music on the radio slowly drowned her senses as she thought about being able to use her water power. How strong she could be. How proud her parents would become…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honest confession: Nya was my least favorite character while watching the series. She's grown on me more since these last two seasons, but I always disliked her arcs. I hope in this story I can bring her to justice and all of you reading like how I write her!  
> Thank you so much for reading!


	14. XIII-Lloyd-XIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI IM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE  
> I had a tech rehearsal for a school play yesterday and I didn’t have anytime to update  
> BUT I’m here now so let’s get that bread!

Lloyd spaced out looking out the window. He didn’t notice that everyone had fallen asleep. He was trapped in his own little world, thinking about nothing. 

 

“Aren’t you going to rest?” Zane asked from the driver’s seat. 

 

Lloyd tore his gaze away. “How’d you know I was still awake?”

 

“Simple,” the Ice Master explained. “Your breathing is not as heavy as those clearly resting.”

 

Lloyd turned around to look at the others. They all looked so peaceful. Skylor was softly snoring while leaning against the window. Kai was using his sister as a pillow. Nya was just slouched over. Jay and Cole were… were they leaning on each other? They were leaning on each other. 

 

Zane made a turn that was sort of sharp and the two boys were pulled away from each other. Jay started fidgeting in his sleep. 

 

“I can’t sleep,” Lloyd said, being sure not to talk too loud as to wake the others. “At this rate I’d probably have to be knocked out.” 

 

“Perhaps you can entertain yourself by staring at your cellular phone,” Zane suggested. 

 

Lloyd said, “I don’t have a phone.” 

 

“That is quite surprising. Most people your age have a cell phone.”

 

Lloyd tugged at the ends of his jacket. He was going to miss wearing it. Most of his life he had to wear the gi his uncle gave him. 

 

“Well,” Lloyd sighed, “I’m not exactly like most people. It’s not everyday someone’s dad is sent to the First Realm by one-hundred magicians.” 

 

“The correct term is ‘Masters of Magic’,” Zane said. A few seconds later he added, “Although, yes, I do see your point.” 

 

Lloyd looked out the window again. From his view, he could see the stars. They were pretty, Lloyd thought. And simple. 

 

If only if life were as simple as pretty stars… 

 

“Lloyd,” Zane mentored, “I see that your life is difficult. You need to remember that there will always be difficult things. There are hardships in other people’s lives, too. The best thing you can do for yourself is identify what these problems are and work past them.”

 

Lloyd couldn’t help but chuckle. “You’re just a fortune cookie full of sayings, aren’t you? That was good advice, though.” Lloyd thought for a moment. “Is there anything going on with you? Any hardships I mean.”  
Zane didn’t answer at first. Not once did he look away from the road. Then he finally replied, “There are no current problems, no. Anything troubling me is either put back in the past or is something I worry about in the future.”

 

“What are you worried about?” Lloyd asked, his curiosity peaked. 

 

“I am worried about these friendships,” Zane answered hesitantly. “I am worried if I am worthy of such a group, and if they would accept me for who I am.”

 

Lloyd tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

 

“I am not exactly ‘normal’ myself, if I’m being entirely honest.”

 

“Zane, the seven of us are all teenagers with abilities given to our ancestors by a god. None of us are normal.”

 

Zane smiled faintly. “Thank you, Lloyd.”

 

“You helped me too, Zane.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m trying to experiment with characters that don’t interact that much in the series. I hope y’all enjoyed this chapter!  
> Once again I am so sorry I missed the update yesterday. I’ll be sure to update on time next week.  
> Thanks to everyone reading! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated!  
> Also, Happy Hallows Eve to all who celebrate. Have a spooky day


	15. XIV-Jay-XIV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhappy monday!

_Land falling from the sky. His friends suffocating into gold. Venom and blood stains on her dress. Everything was falling apart. There would be nothing left._

_Nya was dead in Jay’s arms. Their friends were nothing but statues behind them. But where was Skylor?_

_That’s right. She was down below, getting crushed as the stolen pieces of the city came from the heavens._

_There was no hope. He had lost. There was nothing he could do. Everyone was dead or dying. There was no hope. There was no hope._

_“I wish-”_

 

\--------

 

Jay woke up with a shaky breath. The pain of being beaten multiple times and poison on his fingers was replaced with the pain of a sore neck. 

 

He sat up and rubbed the sore spot from sleeping on it funny. Still catching his breath, he subconsciously wiped his cheek. He found that his face was wet. He had been crying. Silently, but still. Jay got rid of all the tears and looked down at his hands.

 

It was okay. He was okay. 

 

He held his hands together and looked out the window. They were still driving. It had gotten dark by now. Jay wondered what time it was. He turned his attention to the front of the car to check the clock. It caught him off-guard when he realized Zane and Lloyd were talking to each other. 

 

Jay quickly scanned the rest of the car to see if anyone else was up. It was just them three. 

 

“...which is why the royal family dyes their hair white,” Zane was saying. “That is my theory, anyway.”

 

“Fair point,” Lloyd approved. “Hey, is everyone still asleep?”

 

“I believe so,” Zane replied. “Why?”

 

“We’re almost home. I should probably start waking everyone up.”

 

Zane nodded. “Many of them are most likely in improper sleeping positions. We do not want them with tightened joints for training.”

 

“Speaking of sleeping positions,” Lloyd brought up, “did you see how Jay and Cole were sleeping at the beginning of the night?”

 

Jay felt his heart skip a beat. He looked at Cole, who was out cold. How were they sleeping? Was it embarrassing? Was Lloyd going to make fun of them?

 

“They were leaning against each other,” Lloyd explained. “They looked so peaceful there. Like sleeping dogs. It was kind of c-”

 

Zane suddenly slammed the breaks of the car, making everyone lurch forward. 

 

“Agh,” Kai groaned, rubbing his head. “What gives?” Everyone else had woken up from the sudden movement, dazed, sleepy, and confused. 

 

“I apologize,” Zane said humbly. “There was someone on the road. I thought I was going to run into them if I didn’t stop.”

 

“I think I saw it, too,” Lloyd supported. “It looked like someone on a motorcycle.”

 

“Motorcycle?” Skylor questioned, rubbing her head after hitting it on the window. 

 

“Who could possibly be riding out this late at night?” Cole demanded. 

 

“I don’t know,” answered Nya, “but we should probably be careful. How much longer until we get to the temple?”

 

Zane assured, “We are now barely entering the town. It should be a matter of minutes.” He pressed his foot on the gas and kept driving. 

 

Jay wondered if he should be worried about anyone on a motorcycle. He was trying to think back to his dreams, seeing if there could be any connection with the two. When he couldn’t find any, he felt a small spark of happiness in his heart. There was something different.

 

Different. He liked it when things were different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey yall, I hope you enjoyed this week's chapter. This won't be the end of Jay's nightmares (rip) and the origin will be revealed... eventually. It's gonna be a loooong story.  
> There will be a few things I change about Jay's experience from Skybound, but all the major things are the same
> 
> Anyways, sorry the chapter's kinda short. I've been extremely busy this week, but hopefully, I'll be able to write more with Thanksgiving coming up. Thank you all for reading and I'll be back next week!
> 
> BTW I FINALLY FIGURED OUT HOW TO DO ITALICS IN AO3 SO THAT WILL BE THING YOU GUYS GET TO SEE NOW INSTEAD OF ME TYPING IN ALL CAPS. I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS


	16. XV-Zane-XV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday/Veteran's day! Don't have a lot to say today, so I'm just gonna drop the chapter. Adios, and enjoy!

Zane drove up the hill and stopped the car in front of the ancient-looking monastery. The Masters filed out of the car and grabbed all of their luggage from the trunk. It was nearly midnight, but they had finally made it to the newest chapter of their story.

As Zane was grabbing the last of his things, the doors opened, and the seven were met with a wise-looking old man. 

Lloyd was the first to greet him. “Sensei Wu.”

“Lloyd,” Wu responded disapprovingly. “You disobeyed me. You were supposed to stay behind while Cole got everyone.”

“Oh,” Lloyd responded flatly with a hint of salt. “You noticed I was gone. I thought it wouldn’t even phase you.”

Zane felt like saying something but was intrigued by Lloyd’s words. 

Wu sighed and turned his attention to the newcomers.

“Welcome,” he introduced, “I am Sensei Wu, Master of Creation. Cole, I trust you found everyone on the list.”

“Sure did,” Cole responded with a tired grin. “Plus I got an extra.”

“An extra?” Wu looked confused. Zane was, as well. Who was the extra Cole was talking about?

“Zane, come on out!” Cole invited. 

A wave of realization came over Zane. He finished taking out his luggage and shut the trunk of the car. As he stepped forward in front of the Sensei, Zane wondered why he wasn’t on this ‘list’ Cole and Lloyd used to find the others.

Wu’s mouth gaped open at the sight of the Ice Master. 

“Hello,” Zane greeted, “I am Zane.”

“Zane?” Wu repeated. “How can it be?”

The Ice Master looked at the Sensei, puzzled. “I’m sorry?”

Wu hesitated for a moment before saying, “Never mind. We shall all discuss later. There are just enough rooms for all seven of you. Please, select one to your liking and get some rest. We shall begin training in the morning.”

The seven nodded and followed Wu inside. 

“Woah,” Cole whistled as they entered through the large wooden doors. “This place is sweet.”

Right through the door, they were met with a wall. Behind it was three hallways.

“Straight down is where the kitchen is,” Wu explained, “along with a living room and a bathroom. To the left are the training space and the pathway to the courtyard. There is also a small library if you would like to accompany yourself with books.” He winked at Zane.

Zane blinked in return. The look the Sensei gave him made it seem like he _knew _Zane. Either that, or his attire gave away the fact, and Master Wu was just making an assumption.__

__

__Wu continued, “The hallway to the right is where all of the bedrooms are. There is another restroom down there as well.”_ _

__

__“Thanks,” commented Kai._ _

__

__“This place is nicer than any apartment in Baransu,” Skylor said in awe. She was looking around the walls, admiring the beautiful building._ _

__

__“This temple isn’t gonna, like, fly in the air or anything, right?” Jay asked in a tiny voice._ _

__

__Zane looked at Jay. “That is ridiculous. Why would a building start to fly?”_ _

__

__“It could be a boat,” Jay added. “A flying boat.”_ _

__

__Nya let out a small laugh. “Maybe in a dream.”_ _

__

__“Well, I think it’s time we all go to our rooms,” Lloyd said, starting to march to the right._ _

__

__“Not so fast,” Wu said, voice stern. “Meet me in the kitchen, Lloyd. The rest of you may go to your rooms._ _

__

__The six Masters obeyed and went down the hallway as Lloyd and Wu went the other direction._ _

__

__“Do you think that Wu knew our parents?” Skylor whispered as soon as he was out of earshot._ _

__

__“I just wanna know how this dude pays rent,” Kai joked. He received a small laugh from Skylor._ _

__

__There were nine doors (including the bathroom door). There was four on either side of the rather wide hallway with the last door being at the very end._ _

__

__Nya opened the first door on the left and found a room that was clearly occupied. Zane assumed that the room belonged to Lloyd._ _

__

__The Water Master closed the door and went to the room across from it._ _

__

__“I claim this one,” she said, going in._ _

__

__“I claim the huge room at the end!” Jay exclaimed._ _

__

__“The room most likely belongs to Sensei Wu,” Zane warned. “I do not believe that it is vacant.”_ _

__

__Jay sighed as Skylor went into the room next to Lloyd’s._ _

__

__“These rooms are extraordinary,” she breathed. “Never in my life would I think I would live in a palace.”_ _

__

__Kai put his hand on the handle of the door next to his sister’s and across from Skylor._ _

__

__“I can name one thing better than a palace,” Kai smirked, looking at the Reflection Master._ _

__

__Zane found their actions interesting. If he was correct, Kai and Skylor found each other attractive, and were communicating through “flirting”._ _

__

__The two Masters smiled at each other, not breaking eye contact until they both closed their doors. The only ones left were Zane, Cole, and Jay._ _

__

__“Damn, he’s smooth,” Cole muttered._ _

__

__“Jealous?” Jay giggled. Rather than defending himself, Cole laughed along._ _

__

__“So, um, which room are you taking?” Cole asked Jay._ _

__

__Jay shrugged. “Not sure. Zane, what about you?”_ _

__

__Zane examined the hallway and decided to follow the pattern everyone else seemed to follow._ _

__

__“I will take the room next to Kai,” he announced, heading towards the room._ _

__

__“So you want the left or…” Cole asked._ _

__

__“Oh, it doesn’t really matter to me,” Jay replied. “You can have the left if you want.”_ _

__

__“No, it’s fine,” Cole insisted. “I can take the right. Unless you want it?”_ _

__

__“Yeah, I can take the left,” Jay decided._ _

__

__“That was an extremely poor negotiation,” Zane commented. “You must always keep your voice clear and take control of your nerves.”_ _

__

__“I’m not nervous,” Cole said. He looked between the Lightning and Ice Master. “Goodnight.” He closed the door._ _

__

__Zane turned to Jay. “Goodnight, Jay.”_ _

__

__“G’night,” Jay saluted. The two went into their respective rooms._ _

__

__Once inside, Zane looked around at his room. There was a bed on the left side of the wall. Leaning against the left side closest to the door was a wardrobe where Zane could put his clothes. To the right, there was a desk with multiple drawers and a chair. Zane saw a small handle above it. He curiously put his hand on it to see what it was. Sliding it to the left, he discovered that there was a mirror underneath. Zane closed the mirror and turned his attention to the window at the end of the room. It was circular and was about five feet tall and wide (or, at least, that’s what Zane estimated). The design on the window was square-ish, in a traditional Chinese type fashion. There was a small ledge below it, making a small bench. On either side of the window were curtains, which Zane pulled together, making it dark._ _

__

__There was no lamp, Zane realized. He would have to buy one of his own and install it._ _

__

__Zane placed his luggage on the bed and began unpacking. He placed all clothing articles in the wardrobe. There were no undergarments, for he did not need to wear them._ _

__

__He placed anything extra in or on the desk. He put his favorite books on the desk for now. He knew he would be collecting more books, and he’d have to buy a bookshelf._ _

__

__The Ice Master stepped back from the desk and sat on the bed. He noticed it wasn’t very cushiony._ _

__

__There was a knock on the door. Zane stood up._ _

__

__“You may come in,” he said. The door opened and Sensei Wu entered, carrying pillows and blankets._ _

__

__“Hello, Zane,” the Master greeted. He held up the blankets. “I’m afraid there are only three colors left.”_ _

__

__Zane scanned over the colors- black, blue, and white. He selected the latter and placed it on his bed._ _

__

__“Thank you, Sensei,” Zane smiled._ _

__

__Wu was silent for a few seconds._ _

__

__“I can’t believe you’re here,” Wu said, voice trailing. “How is it possible?”_ _

__

__Zane took a step back. “I am sorry. I still do not know what you are talking about.”_ _

__

__The Sensei closed his eyes and let out a small, contemplating sigh._ _

__

__“Perhaps,” he said, “in time, all questions will be answered.” He turned on his heel and exited through the door. Zane didn’t move until he heard it click._ _

__

__Zane then walked over to the drapes and pulled them over the windows, even though they were already closed. He was very confused. He did not know what Wu was talking about in the slightest. Zane went back in his memories over and over again to see if there was anything, even a slight mention of the old Master. Nothing._ _

__

__Zane considered that at one point his memory was wiped, but after doing another sweep of his memories, there was no way Zane would have forgotten the Master._ _

__

__He decided to do one more search. This one would be more thorough. He watched as his life flashed before his eyes in reverse._ _

__

__There was the car ride. Then there was meeting Lloyd and Cole. There were many memories of him at his job at the library. He saw his creator, coughing on the hospital bed. He relived all the lessons he was taught. He remembered putting on his first sweater vest. The time he built himself a falcon. The first time he went outside…_ _

__

__After going through fifteen years of his life, he still found nothing on Sensei Wu. Now, he was at the very beginning. He was about to bring himself back to the present until he heard a voice._ _

__

__“Is it working?” the voice asked._ _

__

__Zane looked at the date on the top right of the screen.__

>   
>  **January 13, 2002**

 

“It worked!” the voice exclaimed. That was the doctor. Zane’s creator. “Hello, Zane.” The doctor smiled brightly, so happy that his invention worked. His aged face beamed with excitement. 

 

The Ice Master’s eyes suddenly felt very heavy. He brought himself back to the present and went to touch his face-

 

His cheeks were dry. They would never become wet with tears. No matter how sad he felt, he would never cry. That is how it’s always been. That was Zane.

 

Zane knew who he was the instant he was made. His name was already given to him, and so was his purpose. 

 

“You were built to protect those who could not protect themselves.” That's what he was told on the first day of his life. 

 

Zane solemnly went over to his bed and laid down on it. Staring up at the ceiling, the same word echoed in his mind. 

 

Protect.


	17. XVI-Lloyd-XVI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like to call this one: Lloyd's fckhing PISSED

Lloyd walked down the hallway that led into the kitchen. He had to admit, he was pretty mad at his uncle. 

 

He wasn’t exactly sure why. Wu had never said anything directly to him. It was more of the subtle things throughout the years. 

 

Lloyd went outside once, and now Wu was going to ground him for life. 

 

_Being grounded probably won’t be that different than what my life usually is,_ he thought to himself, finally in the kitchen.

 

He stopped dead in his tracks. All emotion disappeared for a brief moment when he saw someone sitting at the dining table tapping worriedly on the wooden surface. 

 

“Mom,” he remarked, almost deadpan. His mom looked up.

 

“Lloyd!” she exclaimed, getting up. “You’re okay!”

 

At that moment Wu had gotten to the kitchen as well. Instead of acknowledging anyone in the room, he went straight towards a cupboard in the living room. He took out multiple pillows and blankets.

 

“I’ll return soon,” he announced. “First I must bring our new students comforters.” He left as soon as he came. Lloyd was left alone with his mom. 

 

“How have things been here?” she asked, reaching for his face.

 

Lloyd turned away. “Fine.”

 

“Is there anything wrong?” 

 

Lloyd said sarcastically, “Oh, I’m fantastic.”

 

His mom looked at him sternly. “Lloyd, I know you-”

 

“You know me?” Lloyd cut off, on the verge on bursting out laughing. “I’ve hardly seen you since you dropped me off here when I was six! How would you know anything about me?” 

 

“I’m your mother.” 

 

“ _Then act like it._ ” 

 

“I don’t see what the big issue is!” 

 

“You’re never here!” Lloyd’s voice was becoming so loud, he wondered if anyone in the bedrooms could hear him. 

 

His mom placed a hand on his shoulder. Lloyd tensed up, tempted to shrug it off. 

 

“I’m here right now,” she comforted silently. 

 

Lloyd dropped his shoulders. He took deep breaths and tried to recollect himself. He knew he could be impulsive when he got too angry. 

 

_Just like your fa-_

 

Lloyd inhaled sharply. 

 

“Calm down, Lloyd,” his mom said. 

 

Lloyd glared at his mom. “I know what I need to do.” 

 

Sensei Wu walked in, now empty-handed. 

 

“Misako,” he addressed. “Have you gotten the chance to talk to Lloyd?”

 

She nodded slowly. Lloyd begrudgingly sat down at the dining table. Wu sat down next to him. 

 

“Lloyd-” he began. 

 

“I know,” Lloyd interrupted. “I shouldn’t have left and it was unwise of me to make my own decisions. You can punish me now.”

 

Wu bobbed his head, acknowledging everything his nephew just said. 

 

Wu said, “I will not punish you if you tell me why you left.”

 

Lloyd gave his uncle a confused look. “What?”

 

“Why did you leave?”

 

Lloyd was stunned. He’s never been given the chance to redeem himself. All his life, he was expected to behave like Wu was always right. But now he could actually explain himself. He could make his life his own. 

 

“I guess…” he trailed off, his eyes floating over to his mom, who was standing by the hallway. 

 

Wu waited for him to answer.

 

Lloyd let out a short laugh. “I guess I didn’t want to be stuck in the same place my entire life.”

 

\--------

 

Lloyd laid down on his bed. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind blank. He was still processing the fact that everything was different. 

 

Who knows? Maybe in time, once there was no longer an imbalance, things would always be different. New routine. New life. New reputation. 

 

Lloyd turned off his lamp. He knew that no matter what happened, he would always be known as a Garmadon. The son of a man who tried to play god. A man who turned himself into a demon. A man whose name strikes fear into the hearts into anyone who hears it.

 

But Lloyd could still dream. And fantasize. And hope. 

 

Things could be different. 

 

He closed his eyes.

 

Everything was going to be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you couldn't tell, I don't like Misako very much hehe.  
> Thanks so much for reading! I know I say this at the end of like every single chapter, but I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. I hope everyone has a great holiday season, and I'll see you guys next Monday!


	18. XVII-Kai-XVII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is Monday once more. I just wanna say thank you for all the love and support <3! Y'all are great!  
> Enjoy this week's chapter :)

Kai stared at his reflection dully as he brushed his teeth. He made sure to be the first one up so no one else would take up the restroom. The only problem now was that he was tired.

 

“Holy Saisho,” he heard Nya curse from the doorway. “Your hair looks like a flippin’ rat nest.”

 

Kai spit into the sink and grabbed his hairbrush.

 

“Like you look any better yourself,” he scoffed. 

 

Nya asked, “Would it kill you to cut your hair? You haven’t done anything with it since you stopped gelling your hair up when you were like, seven.”

 

“First of all,” Kai said, pulling his hair in a ponytail, “I do things with my hair. I redye it every month _and_ I put it up. Second of all, I stopped gelling it when I was twelve.”

 

Nya stared at her brother. “Just get a damn haircut, Kai.”

 

“No.” Kai left the restroom and went back into his bedroom. 

 

He put on black jeans, a faded red t-shirt, and a leather jacket given to him by his father. He was about to put on his shoes when Sensei Wu walked in. 

 

“Change out of that,” he ordered, handing Kai a new pair of clothes. “Put this gi on instead. Meet us in the training room.”

 

Kai groaned as the old man left. Looking at the white gi, Kai rolled his eyes and put on the ugly outfit.

 

\--------

 

Kai took his time heading towards the training room. By the time he got there, everyone else had arrived. They were all wearing the same white gi. 

 

“Kai,” Wu addressed. “You’re late.”

 

“Didn’t realize there was a time constraint,” the Fire Master defended, keeping his cool. 

 

“There was no specific set time. But everyone else was here when you were not. Please, sit down.”

 

Kai sat with the other six Masters on the floor. It reminded him of when he was younger. He used to take a karate class with his sister. Of course, he had to drop out not after long because of his parents’ busy schedule. 

 

“Master Wu,” Lloyd asked with a hopeful look in his eye, “I’ve been looking for my mom all morning. Do you know where she is?”

 

“She left last night,” Wu answered, “after you went to bed.”

 

Lloyd’s shoulders dropped. “Of course. Sorry for asking.” Kai wanted to ask why he seemed so glum, but he didn’t know what to say. 

 

Zane spoke up, “Sensei Wu. Last night you told us there was an imbalance. Could you tell us what it is?”

 

Wu nodded. “I’ve been reading the newspaper a lot. There have been many articles about a new uprising gang. Nothing extreme yet, but the fact that a seemingly small gang hasn’t smoldered out by now is alarming.”

 

“It’s just one group of troublemakers,” Jay pointed out. “What’s that have to do with the fate of the world? Or, whatever it was.”

 

Wu kept explaining, “I see where you’re coming from. If it weren’t for a certain factor, I would have dismissed the whole thing completely.”

 

Nya looked at Wu, then at Kai when the old man wasn’t finishing his story. 

 

“So… what’s the one factor?” she asked.

 

“The name,” Wu said. “They call themselves the Sons of Garmadon.” 

 

Kai saw Lloyd tense up. Everyone in the room held in their breath. 

 

Skylor was the first to speak.

 

“Is it like a cult?” she mumbled. 

 

“What are they trying to do?” Cole shouted, probably louder than he intended. 

 

Wu held up his hand to signal them to settle down. 

 

“We must begin training immediately,” he said. “If this group should be as feared as I suspect, it will take all of the Original Masters to take them down, and put an end to whatever they’re planning.”

 

Kai nodded. He always wanted to be a hero.

 

“How do we know if this group is actually a threat?” someone demanded. Kai turned around to see who it was. 

 

“Lloyd’s right,” Cole backed on. “For all we know, this could be for nothing.” 

 

Kai snapped back, “Even if the Sons of Garmadon were just some edgy teens, this training has to be good for something.”

 

“Yeah, I’m with Bird’s Nest on this one,” Jay said, making Kai a bit offended. “Learning to fight is cool. Plus, you never know when you could use your powers to fight off pirates or something.”

 

“Pirates haven’t been around for years,” Nya informed, looking kind of confused, “but I still agree with them. All my life I wanted to put my powers to good use. I’m not letting that go down the drain.”

 

“I don’t want to waste my time on this,” Skylor confessed. “If I turn back now, I could probably get my job back. I just think we’re risking valuable time here.” 

 

The arguing went back and forth. The only ones saying nothing were Wu and Zane. After what seemed like an eternity of bickering, Zane cut them all off. 

 

“The Sons of Garmadon have been spotted trying to sneak into various warehouses. Anyone caught refuses to say anything to the police. All warehouses they attempted to infiltrate contained many building-type stones, including iron, marble, vengestone, steel, etcetera. 

 

“Many have speculated that this could be part of a bigger plan. What this has anything to do with their name, no one knows. However, there is a very good chance that this is leading to something more dangerous. It would be wise to take extra precautions before forgetting about the Sons of Garmadon.” 

 

The six Masters stared at Zane in awe.

 

“How did you know all that?” Kai asked. "With what they're doing and all?"

 

“Extended research,” Zane answered as if it was obvious. 

 

Cole said, “Basically, you’re saying we’re better safe than sorry.” 

 

“Do you really think this could do with Lord Garmadon?” Skylor asked the team. 

 

“What would building blocks have anything to do with it?” Nya said. 

 

“Only time will tell,” Wu said. 

 

Lloyd stood up. “If this really has to do with my… with Garmadon, I’m going to make sure that the Sons never finish whatever plan they’re doing.”

 

“I guess I’m in, too,” Cole said. “But I’m only fighting at those warehouses. I’m not going near any freaky temples.” 

 

“Let’s get that cult,” Skylor encouraged. 

 

“Perfect,” Sensei Wu said. “Training begins now.”

 

\--------

 

“Be careful,” Wu warned. “Those are real swords.”

 

“Do you think you could cut Kai’s hair with it?” Nya joked. 

 

Kai stood at the center of the mat, waiting for Zane to get his blade. The two volunteered to show how they fought before Wu and Lloyd taught them the rest. Jay did raise his hand, but, unfortunately for him, anime was not enough experience to actually fight. 

 

“Are we all going to have swords?” Skylor asked. 

 

“For now,” Wu explained. “Today, after Kai and Zane face off, each of you will attempt to take on Lloyd. I will determine which weapon is best for you based on your fighting style.”

 

“We don’t know how to fight,” Cole pointed out. 

 

“And Kai’s hair is not suitable for fighting,” Nya said again. Then, shouting at Zane, “CUT IT OFF!”

 

Zane laughed and said, “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

Kai subconsciously touched his hair. He really hoped the two were just kidding. 

 

“Alright, on the count of three, you start fighting,” Lloyd told them. “We’ll stop it until one of you surrender, or if one person has the other knocked to the ground.” He took a step back to distance himself away from the fight. “Okay, ready? One… two… three!”

 

Kai charged at Zane immediately. He swung his sword back and forth, left to right. He thought he was doing a great job until he noticed that Zane was doing good. Like, _really_ good. The Ice Master deflected the attacks almost effortlessly. He wasn’t even breaking a sweat.

 

Zane then struck Kai. Kai did his best to maintain his stance. Now he was just barely blocking his attacks. 

 

Zane took a step back and rose the sword over his shoulder. Kai ducked by instinct. The blade flew past his face. Kai fell to his knees, catching his breath. His arms were sore, and he felt like he was going to die. His head felt lighter. Fighting Zane had drained so much energy from him. 

 

Kai looked up at his peers to see them with their mouths gaped open. They were staring at Kai. Nya started laughing. Kai was extremely confused. 

 

Until he looked down. 

 

Locks of beautiful brunet hair laid on the cold hard ground. Kai reached towards the back of his head, only to find his ponytail ending a lot shorter than it normally does.

 

“MY HAIR!” he cried out. “What did you do with my hair?” 

 

“It appears I have made a mistake,” Zane confessed. “Perhaps I can make it up to you by giving you a haircut?” 

 

“Is he listening?” Skylor asked the team. 

 

Kai wasn’t listening. He was too busy crying. 

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so upset about hair,” Cole said.

 

“Kai,” Wu ordered. “Please rise.”

 

The Fire Master did as he was told. He was dead inside.

 

“I’ve had a student in the past that would have been much more aggressive in your position,” Wu said. “But he also wouldn’t have been crying over it. Zane, fix this situation, please.”

 

“Of course,” Zane nodded. 

 

“Wait, who was the past student?” Lloyd asked. 

 

“That’s not important right now,” Wu dismissed. “What is important is training. Lloyd, while Kai and Zane get situated, could you explain to everyone else what could have been improved during the fight?”

 

Lloyd’s eyes darted back and forth between the Sensei and the group. “Sure.”

 

Zane helped Kai walk back down into the hallway and towards the bathroom.

 

“Well, for starters,” Lloyd began, “Zane was… perfect. Like a machine. I've never seen such a flawless technique. Kai, on the other hand…”

 

His voice faded out by the time Kai and Zane reached the doors to the restroom. 

 

“I apologize once more for cutting your hair,” Zane said, pulling scissors out of the drawer. 

 

“It’s fine,” Kai groaned. “Just don’t make me bald.”

 

Kai looked at himself in the mirror. There was enough hair cut off to where it would have to be fixed, but still enough to make various hairstyles. He might as well just get this over with. 

 

He sighed, closed his eyes, and let Zane do the work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I mostly used this chapter to add in little hints of what's to come, but I hope everyone liked reading them nonetheless.  
> By the way, if you guys have any questions about the story, headcanons, or the Baransu universe general, feel free to ask! I'd be more than happy to answer (with the exception of spoilers, of course).  
> Adios!


	19. XVIII-Wu-XVIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update! I've been really busy today askshdbfhdfga  
> Anyways, since this chapter is kinda filler(???) I'll be posting another chapter shortly after this one! I use too many exclaimation marks! Enjoy!!!

Wu waited for Zane and Kai. The rest of the Masters have been waiting for almost a half an hour. 

 

Finally, the Fire Master walked in, followed by Zane. Kai had a towel covering his head. 

 

“Welcome back,” teased Nya. “Are you ready to show us your bald head?”

 

“He is not bald,” Zane stated. 

 

Lloyd said, “Take the towel off. You can’t train if you can’t see.”

 

Kai shook his head. “Nope. I’m keeping this baby on.” 

 

Wu came up behind Kai and yanked the towel off his head. Teenagers were always so immature and self-absorbent. 

 

The group collectively gasped at the sight of Kai’s hair. 

 

It was tousled, brought to the side. Wu was reminded of a poster of a “boy band” he saw once. All in all, Kai would definitely be able to train better.

 

“If we are done discussing Kai,” Wu said, “I would like to begin our first important task.”

 

The Masters quiet down, all their attention on the Sensei. 

 

“For the record,” Wu heard Skylor whisper to Kai, “I think your hair looks great.”

 

“A Master must know how to fight with his body and mind,” Wu lectured. “However, a Master cannot fight without a weapon. One cannot fight with just any weapon, however. The weapon must fit. Today you shall all duel Lloyd with a simple sword.” Lloyd walked over to the end of the training area where there was a closet. He opened it to reveal that it held many, many weapons. “I will evaluate your fighting skills to determine which weapon is best for you. Lloyd, are you ready?” 

 

Lloyd took out his own sword. It had a slightly curved blade on the top and a small golden tassel at the handle. Nodding towards Wu, he positioned himself in a ready stance on the mat.

 

Wu turned back to his new students and smiled. “First up, Kai.” 

\--------

Kai gripped onto the katana tightly. He and Lloyd circled each other, both waiting for the other to make the first strike. 

 

“Question,” Kai called out. “Can I use my power?”

 

Wu stroke his beard consideringly. “I suppose. But use the weapon, too. And try not to destroy the monastery.”

 

Kai looked at Lloyd with a smug smile on his face. “Perfect.” He charged at the Energy Master with flames on his arms. He swung left and right. Lloyd blocked his attacks and threw a ball of green energy to throw Kai off his rhythm. He swung his sword at Kai, who ducked. Now it was Kai deflecting the attacks. Not before long, Kai summoned up a large amount of fire, forcing Lloyd to step back. 

 

This was repeated for a solid five minutes. Every once in awhile, something new would be added into the mix, but for the most part, everything was getting repetitive. 

 

“I’ve seen enough,” Wu ordered. The boys put down their weapons. Wu motioned for Kai to follow him. Bringing him to the back of the room, Wu took the training katana out of Kai’s hand. He replaced it with two nicer katanas. They had leather handles and long, thin, black blades with a curving edge from the cutaway. 

 

“Duel wielding seems to be more your speed than just having one sword,” Wu told Kai. 

 

\--------

 

Next up was Nya. She fought vigorously, letting Lloyd make the first strike and then observing him as she dodged his attacks. She flowed from one movement to another, letting her reflexes take over. She copied Lloyd’s fighting style, and whenever she used her water, she would put a distance between herself and Lloyd. 

 

When the battle was over, Wu handed Nya a three-pronged spear with a metal handle. 

 

“Spear?” she asked. “But I was doing really good with the sword.”

 

“While you were excellent with the katana, the spear suits you more,” Wu explained. 

 

Nya sat back down with her brother as the next challenger stepped up.

\--------

 

Wu thought Lloyd’s technique was flawless, but when fighting against Zane, he looked like an amature. Zane’s fighting was spotless and strategic. Wu had never seen a more perfect style. 

 

Lloyd was taken down within a minute. Wu led Zane to the back and told the Ice Master to choose whichever weapon he pleased. Zane ended up choosing a longbow and a pair of shurikens.

\--------

 

“Fix your stance, Jay,” Wu told the Lightning Master. “In that position you’ll be taken down in no time.”

 

Jay grumbled and kept adjusting himself until Wu was pleased, although the sensei did see some things that could use readjustments. 

 

Wu started the fight, and Lloyd attacked immediately. Jay let out a shriek as he brought the sword up to deflect the hit. 

 

Lloyd kept attacking and Jay kept deflecting and dodging. The Master of Energy moved fast, but Lightning was faster. Fear powered Jay’s great defense skills, but Wu wasn’t seeing enough offense. 

 

“You’re not going to get anywhere if you keep dodging!” Skylor shouted. 

 

Cole yelled, “Use your lightning!”

 

Jay moved out of the way of Lloyd’s attacks once more and summoned little bolts of electricity at his fingertips. Transfering that energy to the sword, Jay staring swinging at Lloyd with more confidence.

 

Everything about his stance is wrong, Wu thought to himself. At least he was finally attacking. 

 

As Jay kept hitting his own sword against Lloyd, the lighting power built up until the entire room was being illuminated with the blue glow. Jay took a step back and swung the sword one last time, letting all of the lighting fly towards Lloyd. 

 

Lloyd jumped out of the way just in time. The bolt of lighting hit the wall, burning a hole in the wall. It was still smoldering. 

 

Jay dropped his sword as both he and Lloyd caught their breaths. The rest of the team stared at Jay, awestruck. Wu handed Jay his weapon.

 

“Nunchucks?” Jay cried out. “Why don’t I get a cool anime blade?”

 

“To be honest,” Cole said, “I don’t really trust you with a sword.”

 

“The nunchucks are the best way to go,” reassured Wu. “Besides, you aren’t the first Lightning Master to wield this weapon. Consider it a tradition.” 

 

Jay swung around his new weapon, experimenting, trying to get a feel for it. He hit himself in the face.

 

\--------

 

Cole relied more on his strength than his weapon. He was skillful in offense, but he lacked some talent in defense. Wu decided that he still was very handy with a blade-type weapon, but he needed something heavier, something with more momentum. 

 

Wu thought of the perfect thing. He took Cole to the back of the room and went to reach for the scythe. 

 

Cole quickly grabbed the hammer. 

 

“This’ll do,” he said. 

 

“Cole,” Wu lectured, “the scythe would be much more efficient with your fighting st-”

 

“The hammer’s fine,” Cole insisted, not making eye contact with the Sensei. 

 

“The scythe is the same weapon your m-”

 

“I said it’s fine,” Cole whispered. He walked over to the group and sat down. “Skylor, you’re next.”

 

\--------

 

Skylor had great momentum. With every dodge and block, she countered Lloyd’s attack. Lloyd caught on to Skylor’s technique, and tried to be more unpredictable, but Skylor was always able to hit back. 

 

What Wu noticed above all, is that Skylor always kept her distance. 

 

At the end of the fight, Wu gave Skylor a crossbow. 

 

\--------

 

The rest of the day was focused on getting the Masters familiar with their weapons. After multiple individual lectures and team up sparring matches, all six new students had improved drastically, much faster than the average person would. However, they were still not nearly powerful enough to stop the Sons of Garmadon. Wu wished Cole had chosen the scythe. He would have become much farther in his training if he didn’t have the hammer. Jay was the farthest behind. Although he knew how to fight using real techniques now, he was still messing around and dodged a lot more than he needed to. Whereas for everyone else, they were equal in their ability, discluding Zane and Lloyd, who were way beyond their peers. 

 

Wu opened the armory after each Master had faced each other. One by one, they all returned their weapons. 

 

“Can someone turn on the AC?” Jay whined, fanning himself with the collar of his gi. “It’s roasting in here.”

 

“Perhaps you shouldn’t have worn your sweater underneath your gi,” Wu remarked. Jay grumbled in response. 

 

The Sensei turned to the team, “Dinner will be in thirty minutes. Dismissed.” 

 

Everyone left, talking amongst themselves. After everyone was gone, Wu went back to the end of the room. His bo staff laid on the floor. He picked it up, examining the etched markings on the side. He looked at it with a bittersweet smile.

 

_“What’s this?”_ he remembered asking the boy he was raising.

 

_“It’s a map! I wrote it on your staff so it would be with you at all times, and you can use it!”_ Wu could almost hear the small boy's voice, but he knew it was all in his head as a distant memory.

 

_“And what is the map for?”_

_“Well… I’m the only Master. I gotta find them all!”_

 

Wu gripped tightly onto the staff. He remembered the conversation like it was yesterday. A little boy, once so full of hope. What had happened?

 

He gazed at the scratches. “They’re all here now, little one.”

 

Using the staff as a walking stick, Wu made his way to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember to look for another chapter shortly... Love y'all.


	20. XIX-Lloyd-XIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told y'all I'd be double posting!

Lloyd was the first to the shower and was out within minutes. There was still twenty-two minutes left before dinner by the time Lloyd was fully ready. Having nothing else to do, he ventured to the library. 

 

The “library” was five shelves with a cushioned chair and a single desk. It wasn’t much, but it didn’t really matter to Lloyd. He hardly used the library. 

 

There was someone already sitting and reading. It was Zane. 

 

“Oh, hey,” Lloyd said. “You got ready quick.” It was almost unnatural. Zane looked as if he spent hours getting ready when in reality it’s barely been ten minutes.

 

Zane looked up from the book he was reading. “Yes. I would like to enjoy spending the remaining twenty minutes and fifty-three seconds doing what I enjoy most.” 

 

“Reading a book about rockets?” Lloyd scrunched his nose while reading the title. 

 

The Ice Master placed the book on the desk in front of him.

 

“I found it curious,” he explained. “It caught my eye. As I was reading it, I found it familiar somehow.”

 

“Maybe you read it when you were a kid,” Lloyd suggested as he scanned the shelves for anything new.

 

Zane laughed. “I would remember if I had read it.”

 

“Are you sure, though?” Lloyd asked, picking a book about fairy tales. “I mean, I barely remember all those times I spent in a daycare center of a hotel when I was around five. You never know.”

 

Lloyd flipped through the pages as he waited for a response. When Zane didn’t reply, Lloyd looked up. 

 

Zane was staring blankly at the book. A glimmer in his eyes seemed to travel around in circles.

 

“Zane?” Lloyd called out. “Are you okay?”

 

Zane blinked rapidly and then turned to Lloyd. “Yes.”

 

Lloyd put a concerned look on his face. “What was that?”

 

“Nothing,” Zane answered almost immediately. “I was just simply… thinking.” Without another word, the Ice Master sat up and put the book back. Then, he walked out of the small library. 

 

\--------

 

The Masters all sat around the table, a plate of chow mein sitting in front of them. 

 

Everyone was eating peacefully in silence until Wu announced, “We will now start with a bonding exercise.” Lloyd heard scattered sighs. “Begin with your name, and proceed with a fun fact.”

 

“No offense, Sensei,” Kai cut in, “but why are we doing this?”

 

“I can’t expect you all to work as a team if you hardly know anything about one another. Lloyd, you go first.”

 

Lloyd dropped his chopsticks. He really didn’t want to be put under the spotlight like this right now. But did he really have a choice?

 

“Okay,” he started. “My name is Lloyd Garmadon-”

 

“Full name,” Wu insisted.

 

Lloyd sighed and grit his teeth. “My name is Lloyd _Montgomery_ Garmadon, and a fun fact about me is that I’ve been here since I was six.” 

 

“Very good,” Wu congratulated. “Skylor, you’re next.”

 

The Reflection Master looked around the room. 

 

“I’m Skylor Chen,” she said, “and a fun fact about me is that I’m pretty sure my boss is living under a fake name.”

 

“Oh, come on!” Kai said playfully. “That isn’t even about you! Tell me something else.”

 

Skylor laughed. “Alright, alright. My fun fact is that I was kicked out of my dojo when I was seven because I almost broke the mirror.” 

 

The table giggled, except for Wu, who just nodded and motioned for Kai to go. 

 

“Name’s Kai Sumisu and I actually like this new haircut.”

 

“Kai being open about his feelings?” Nya joked. “Woah!”

 

Kai threw a pea at his sister. “Shut up! You go.”

 

“I’m Nya Sumisu,” the Water Master said in between laughs while picking the pea out of her hair. “My fact is I enjoy engineering more than I enjoy blacksmithing.” 

 

Lloyd smiled and looked down the table. His eyes stopped at Zane. He’d acted oddly in the library. Lloyd wanted to see if he could maybe learn why that was. “Zane, you go.”

 

“I am Zane. I have been working at the Birchwood Village Library for fourteen years.” 

 

“What’s your last name?” Skylor asked. 

 

“Hm?”

 

“Your last name,” Nya said. “You forgot to mention it.”

 

Zane tensed up.

 

“Julian,” Wu provided.

 

“Zane Julian,” Kai mumbled. “Cool. Now, how about Zappy here?” 

 

Jay looked at Kai angrily. He’d been quiet this whole time. Lloyd thought he was upset after getting dirt from Wu about dodging. 

 

“I’m Jason Rayne Walker,” the Lightning Master said shortly. “And I don’t know how to fight.”

 

Lloyd opened his mouth to speak but was beat to it by Cole.

 

“Hey, don’t say that,” the Earth Master comforted. “It was only the first day. You’ll do great.”

 

Jay looked as if he was about to retaliate but decided against it. Instead, he smiled, nodded, and said, “I’m Jason Rayne Walker, but I just like to be called Jay. And, uh, my fun fact is I have extremely weird dreams.” Lloyd noticed the shift in confidence. He smiled, and then looked at Cole.

 

“Oh, yeah,” Cole remembered. “I’m the last one. Welp, my name is… Coleman Louis Antonio Dimitri Nicholas Hence.”

 

“That’s a mouthful,” Lloyd commented. 

 

“ _COLEMAN?_ ” Kai wheezed. He banged his fist on the table. “Your name is Coleman? Holy Saisho.”

 

Cole groaned. “Don’t. I didn’t name myself.”

 

“Who called you Coleman? Was it your mom?”

 

Cole looked down at his plate. “Actually, a friend of my mom gave her the idea.”

 

“That friend sounds dumb,” Jay joked. “They basically made your name a pun.”

 

“Oh yeah,” Skylor realized. “Cole. Coal. Hah.”

 

“What’s your fun fact?” Nya asked. 

 

“Uh… my dad was part of the Royal Blacksmiths.”

 

“That is a famous song and dance troupe, correct? Zane questioned. 

“Yeah.”

 

Jay said, “That explains the Marty Oppenheimer.” 

 

People started breaking off into their own conversations. Nya talked to Zane about machines and engineering. Skylor and Kai chatted about themselves. Lloyd ended up talking to Jay and Cole about Star Ferrer. At the end of dinner, Jay gave Lloyd the first issue of the comic series. 

 

“I also have all seven movies. If you finish them all before August, you can watch the new one coming out soon,” Jay told Lloyd. “Cole, are you sure you don’t want a comic?”

 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Cole insisted. “Sci-fi has never been my thing. But, just out of curiosity, when’s the movie coming out exactly?”

 

“August 4.”

 

“Cool.” 

 

Lloyd walked back to his room, reading the comic as he went along. He spent all night reading it. When he finished and looked at the time, he saw it was past midnight.

 

Lloyd put the comic down and changed into his pajamas. Climbing into bed, the thought about the space scenery drawn in the comic. So many simple stars. He wished life was like that.

 

Simple, yet beautiful.

 

Lloyd fell asleep within minutes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys don't mind that I added a few headcanons about the characters' names ;)  
> That's it for this week. See you guys next Monday!


	21. XX-Jay-XX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Twentieth part, babey!!   
> I know this might be slow for some of you but bear with me! We're almost at their first mission. I promise to write more fast paced so you guys can get content faster! Who knows? Maybe one day I can post TWO times a week. One can only dream.

Jay pounded on the bathroom door.

 

“Hurry up, Kai!” he shouted. “You’ve been in there for like, eleven years!”

 

“That’s oddly specific,” Nya said from behind. Jay turned around, caught off guard. 

 

“Nya!”

 

“What’s up.”

 

Jay laughed nervously. “I was just- y’know. Why does your brother take so long in the shower?”

 

“Because he’s Kai,” Nya explained. “It takes less than two weeks to figure that out.” She put on her leather jacket. 

 

“Aren’t you going to be hot in that? It’s June.”

 

“I could ask you the same thing.” Nya looked at the pile of clothes in Jay’s arms. 

“Oh, the jacket?” Jay put the pile down and grabbed the coat. “I actually did some modifications to it, so it actually cools me down while I wear it.” He opened it up to show the insides, then moved a piece of fabric to show all the small mechanics inside. Nya admired it.

 

“You did that?” she gasped. “You’re way better at engineering than I am.”

 

“Actually, I burned multiple blankets while doing tests runs,” Jay laughed sheepishly. 

 

“You can’t always get something on the first try,” Nya said. “Where did you get the materials?”

 

Jay looked at the ground shamefully. “I… live in a junkyard.”

 

“Oh.”

 

_She doesn’t think you’re cool,_ Jay told himself. _A junkyard? What cool person would want to be with someone from a junkyard? I should’ve just lied and said I was related to Cliff Gordon or something._

 

He figured that that wouldn’t turn out well either. 

 

Cole walked in the hall.

 

“There you guys are,” he said. “Wu wants you to hurry up. We need to leave pretty soon.”

 

Jay looked down at his large t-shirt and gym shorts. 

 

“I’m waiting for the shower,” he defended, “but Kai is taking forever!” 

 

As if on cue, the door swung open. Steam poured out from the bathroom and the hallway became humid. Kai stepped out fully dressed, running his hand through his hair. 

 

“Finally!” Jay groaned. He walked in and fanned the steam away as much as he could. 

 

“Sorry, Jay,” Kai apologized. “But a king’s gotta look his best.”

 

Kai, Nya, and Cole walked to the kitchen. Jay closed the bathroom door and fanned himself. 

 

“Holy Saisho,” he mumbled. “It’s like a sauna in here.” He turned on the water and went in as soon as he changed out of his pajamas. The water was freezing, but probably because Kai took all the hot water. 

 

For the past two weeks, Jay has always beat Kai to the shower by pure coincidence, but he saw now that even slipping up once would throw you behind. 

 

Still annoyed, Jay got out of the shower and dried himself as quickly as possible. Then he put on his clothes in a rush, and ran out of the bathroom, hair still wet.

 

\--------

 

The seven Masters walked with Wu through town and towards the forest. Everyone looked like they were minding their own business, but Jay knew they were all staring at him.

 

Jay groaned. “Can you please stop staring? I know I was late, but it wasn’t my fault.”

 

“The matter of fault largely depends on-” Zane was saying.

 

“It was Kai.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Kai threw his hands at his sides. “Come on, Jay! You know I always have to look my best. And I look great, don’t I, guys?”

 

“You do have your charm,” Skylor admitted. 

 

Cole shrugged. “Not really my type, but you’re not ugly.”

 

“We can focus on Kai another time,” Wu said. “For now, you must focus on yourself.”

 

“More Kai time for me,” Kai joked.

 

“Why are we walking in the middle of the woods surrounded by mountains?” Lloyd questioned. 

 

“Well, we can’t have people seeing us now, can we?” Wu answered.

 

Jay exclaimed, “So we’re getting murdered! That’s cool.” 

 

The group continued to walk, getting deeper and deeper into the trees. Jay took out his phone at one point but the cell service was so bad that he just put it away. Jay changed his speed so he was now standing side-by-side next to Cole.

 

“We’re so gonna get killed,” Jay whispered to the Earth Master. 

 

“I don’t think an old man can kill seven teenagers with strange powers,” Cole commented. 

 

“You never know!” Jay exclaimed. “When it comes to murder mysteries, in the end, it’s always the quiet one. The one you least suspect because they’re so humble and kind.”

 

“At least we know Kai would never be planning to kill us.”

 

Jay laughed, drawing attention from the others. 

 

“What’s so funny?” Skylor asked. 

 

“It’s nothing,” Cole excused. He continued walking with pride in his steps. Jay smiled and followed behind. 

\--------

 

“Are we at a cliff?” Nya yelled. 

 

“Of course we are,” Zane said. “Cliffs are very easy to identify in broad daylight. It is surprising you are not able to recognize one.” 

 

“Yep, we’re definitely gonna die,” Jay wheezed, out of breath from all that walking. 

 

“We’re not dying, Jay,” Lloyd reassured. “It’s for a lesson.”

 

“Does that lesson happen to be called, ‘How to Avoid Breaking Your Neck After Being Pushed Down a Cliff’?” Skylor asked. 

 

“No,” Wu said. “That lesson is for another day.”

 

Kai crossed his arms. “Right. So what’s today’s lesson?”

 

“Today, you will learn how to summon your dragon.”

 

Everyone went silent. An old man, who had brought them to a cliff surrounded by forest and mountains, was telling them they had to summon a dragon. Jay was convinced he was going to die. 

 

“Every Master is born with the ability to bring forth their own dragon,” Wu lectured. “The dragon, of course, is not like a dragon from the First Realm. Those dragons are untamable and are there own being. A Master’s dragon comes from the soul. It’s specifically made for the rider and can be controlled easily. All it takes is a soul, which all humans have, and confidence.”

 

_Hah_ , Jay thought to himself, _no dragon for me._

 

“I’ll be the first one to get my dragon,” Kai declared.

 

“You? Please,” Jay scoffed. “I’m the King of Confidence.” 

 

Cole shot a doubtful look but didn’t say anything.

 

“Perfect!” Wu exclaimed. “Then I assume you won’t have any trouble going first.”

 

Jay froze. “I mean, I could-” he stammered. “But you know I’m not sure if that’s a very good- why don’t we have Lloyd go first? He’s been training the longest so…”

 

“This is actually the first time I’ve ever done this,” Lloyd confessed, slightly annoyed. “I don’t know how to summon a dragon any better than the rest of you.” 

 

Cole spoke up, “I can go first, Sensei.”

 

“No, no, it’s fine,” Jay sighed. “I’ll go.” He took a few steps forward before realizing he had no idea what to do. He turned around and asked Wu.

 

“Just simply hop off the cliff,” Wu told Jay.

 

_“WHAT?!”_ Jay shrieked. 

 

“Your dragon will be summoned, and you’ll take flight before you hit the ground.” 

 

Jay glanced at the bottom. If anything, he’d just break every bone in his body. Couldn’t be any different from jumping from a flying pirate ship, right? But what if it ended up being like the time at the junkyard? What if he totally fell on his face and completely embarrassed himself? 

 

He turned around and saw everyone waiting for him. Nya gave him a supporting thumbs up. Jay smiled and took a deep breath. He ran. He ran as fast as he could and didn’t take the final leap until the last second. 

 

Closing his eyes, Jay let himself fall. His mind went blank. He didn’t think or feel anything. He just knew that he was falling. He also knew that he would be safe.

 

A crackling noise filled the air. Jay stopped falling. He was caught by… something. He opened his eyes. He was on top of a giant blue dragon, glowing and letting out short bursts of electricity. It was flying Jay high up into the clouds. The Lightning Master made several noises of panic and exhilaration. 

 

Jay breathed, “Holy shi- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” The dragon nose-dived back towards the ground, catching Jay off guard. It stopped just a few feet before it hit the surface. It then landed carefully. 

 

Jay laughed the nerves out of his system. “Okay, Sparky, I’d really- really like to get off now.”

 

The dragon let out a low, obedient growl before glowing and disappearing into Jay. Jay could have stuck the landing, but instead, he fell face-first into the floor.

 

The rest of the group, still on top of the cliff, held their breath. It’s been a solid ten seconds and Jay still hasn’t gotten up.

 

Jay shot up on his feet holding peace signs up, hollering a victory screech. The rest of the Master cheered along. It was the best moment in Jay’s life.

 

After Jay, Zane went. Then it was Lloyd, Kai, Skylor, and Nya. Cole was the very last to go. It was almost like he was trying to build up the courage and finally got it when it was his turn.

 

Cole was on his dragon the shortest and landed on the ground below as soon as possible. Wu then met them on the ground after summoning his white and gold dragon.

 

“Now to go home,” Wu announced. 

 

“Sensei,” Zane said, “the quickest way back to the temple would be to go up this way where there is a small village. Then there’s a trail that will bring us back much faster than if we retrace our steps.”

 

“Very informative,” Wu complimented. 

 

Jay swore that dude was a robot. 

 

“You travel a lot?” Skylor asked the Ice Master.

 

“I suppose you can say that,” he replied. 

 

The team followed Zane up to the end of the town he mentioned earlier. The town’s only attraction seemed to be a gated off acre of land with a single plaque in front of it. A small, newly-built-looking church stood beside it. 

 

“What happened here?” Nya wondered aloud. 

 

“Fire,” Zane answered. “Some years ago, the previous church was burned down in the middle of the night. Reports say it was because of a knocked over gas lamp. No one knows who started the fire, however, nor do they know if it was on purpose or purely an accident.”

 

“Lovely,” Jay said sarcastically. “How much do you wanna bet that place is haunted?”

 

“You really seem to know a lot, Zane,” Kai stated.

 

Zane shrugged. “I am very well-informed.”

 

“Come on, guys,” Lloyd urged. “Let’s get home before it gets dark.” 

 

The Masters continued to follow Zane all the way back home. By the time they reached the top of the hill, the sun was setting. Everyone was complaining about being hungry, so Wu and Zane cooked up a nice meal for everyone to eat. 

 

After he got his fill, Jay walked over to his room to get ready for bed. Cole came up behind him, surprising him.

 

“Oh, hey Cole,” Jay greeted. 

 

“We didn’t get killed,” Cole said enthusiastically.

 

Jay laughed. “Thank Saisho for that.” He got to his door and turned to Cole before going inside. “By the way, good job on the dragon thing today.”

 

Cole smiled. “Thanks! You too.” 

 

Jay smiled once again and closed the door behind him. 

 

“Welp, that was a good day,” Jay mumbled to himself. He threw his head on the pillow and closed his eyes. “Time for a bad night.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Masters summoning and flying their dragons are my aesthetic.  
> Hope you guys enjoyed this week's update. If you happen to have any theories or headcanons, I'd love to hear them!   
> Cya!


	22. XXI-Skylor-XXI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo!  
> That's it that's the beginning message.

_Dear Dad_

 

Skylor lifted her pencil. What would she even say? She had to be careful about what she wrote because her letter would have to be approved first. She rubbed her eyes and sighed. 

 

_You always told me I was special-_

 

No. That wasn’t good enough. She erased it.

 

_I never thought I’d live up to mom’s legacy-_  
I didn’t believe you when you said-  
Mom has-  
You had-  
I- 

 

Skylor erased the paper so roughly that it tore through. Frustrated, she crumbled up the paper and threw it on the floor. She was never good at letter writing, especially to her father. Unfortunately, she had to write one every month. 

 

It’s not like she didn’t have the choice not to. At any point in time, Skylor could stop updating her dad about her life altogether. But… she just couldn’t bring herself to do that. As much as her dad has done terrible things and deserves to be locked up, she couldn’t just cut him out. He was the only family she had, even if she hardly got to see him. 

 

Skylor put her elbows on her desk and rubbed her forehead. 

 

“Think, Skylor. _Think_ ,” she urged herself. She leaned back in her chair and checked her phone. It was almost one in the morning. 

 

Groaning, Skylor plugged in her phone for the night and turned off the light on her desk. She would just have to finish the letter tomorrow. She covered herself in her orange blanket and closed her eyes. 

 

Skylor heard someone walking down the hall. Her eyes flickered open. Out of curiosity, she got out of bed and crept towards her door. Opening it, she looked down the hall, but whoever was walking was already out of sight. She waited for a few seconds before she began to close her door again. 

 

Right when she moved, she saw a pair of blue, glowing dots from down the hall. She stuck her head out again but the dots disappeared as soon as they came. Suspicious, Skylor once again slowly closed the door. This time, she saw Zane walking down the hall, a book in hand. 

 

“I’m surprised you're up this late,” Skylor said, making Zane jump. “Out of all of us, I really thought you would be getting eight hours of sleep.” 

 

Zane kept a straight face. “I was about to go to sleep.”

 

“You have a book.” Skylor couldn’t believe she was outsmarting the smartest. 

 

Zane’s eyes darted between the book, Skylor, and through the hall. Finally he gave in.

 

“I’ve been bested,” he confessed. “I shall let you in on a secret.”

 

Skylor straightened her posture a bit. “I’m interested.”

 

Zane raised his shoulders as if reconsidering his choices. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before opening them again.

 

“I do not sleep,” he said.

 

“What?” Skylor had to keep herself from shouting.

 

“I do not sleep,” he repeated.

 

“That makes no sense.”

 

“It will make sense one day. Possibly.”

 

Skylor stared at Zane in disbelief. How the hell does somebody not sleep and yet be the most functional person in the world? She must have been dreaming.

 

“I’m tired,” Skylor said in a flat voice. “Night.” She closed the door before Zane could say anything back.

 

Skylor laid herself down in bed and fell asleep right away.

 

\--------

 

_Dear Dad_

 

What the hell could she write? 

 

_Hey Dad, I’m currently in some secluded town being taught by an old dude how to fight! One of my teammates is probably an insomniac psycho! We’re trying to stop a cult. Everything’s a blast! Have fun in prison!_

 

Skylor crumbled up the shitpost and tossed it away. Since she was in the training room, she went to the weapon cabinet and took out her crossbow. She practiced shooting from it a few times before running out of arrows. She sat back down on the floor with her half-eaten lunch and notepad. She couldn’t procrastinate anymore. She had to write this letter. 

 

Skylor was staring blankly at a piece of paper when Kai walked by.

 

“Hey,” he said, walking in. “Whatcha doin’ here all by yourself?” He sat down next to Skylor.

 

“I’m trying to write something…” Skylor replied, eyes still on the paper.

 

Kai asked, “What are you writing? A book? Poetry?”

 

“A letter.” 

 

Kai leaned over and picked up one of the many crumbled letters off the ground and read through it.

 

“‘One of my teammates is an insomniac’?” Kai read aloud. “Who here can't sleep?” 

 

Skylor opened her mouth to answer, but she hesitated. 

 

“Me,” she lied. “It’s impossible to fall asleep here.” She let out a small laugh.

 

“I know how you feel,” Kai sighed, leaning on the wall. “I’ve been getting like two hours of sleep each night.”

 

Skylor smiled.

 

Kai took the notepad out of Skylor’s lap. “Here, let me see if I can help you.”

 

“Really?” Skylor asked. “You don’t have to.”

 

“Nah, it’s fine,” Kai shrugged. “So, who’s the letter to?” 

 

“My dad,” Skylor said gingerly. 

 

“Chen,” Kai said flatly. “Like, snake cult Chen? Or do you just happen to have the same last name? And work in the same restaurant he opened years ago?”

 

“Snake cult,” Skylor groaned. 

 

Kai nodded thoughtfully. “Alright… how about, ‘Dear Dad, I know an old man now and he’s being the sugar daddy to six kids-’”

 

Skylor burst out laughing. “Be serious!” 

 

“Alright, alright,” Kai chuckled. “Why don’t you be ominous and vague? Something like, ‘Life has changed a lot,’ or, ‘I’m discovering myself’?”

 

“Discovering myself,” the Reflection Master repeated. “I like that. Should I follow it with ‘I miss you’?”

 

“Do you miss him?”

 

Skylor thought for a second. “Only the good parts.”

 

“Then say… you missed it when he was a father. Before you hardly saw him.”

 

Skylor wrote as Kai spoke. 

 

“This is probably one of the best letters I’ve ever written,” she said.

 

“Don’t forget to mention any other family members,” the Fire Master reminded. "Like any siblings, or your mom, or-"

 

Skylor placed her pencil down. “Actually, it was just… me and my dad.”

 

“Oh.” Kai went to put his hand on her shoulder but stopped. He put it back down. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

 

“It’s fine.”

 

Kai looked at Skylor doubtfully. Not really knowing what to say, he suggested, “Let’s finish that letter.”

 

Skylor began to start writing when Wu walked in, followed by the other Masters.

 

“Lunchtime is over,” the Sensei announced, placing a large bag beside him. Skylor sat on the floor next to Nya. Kai wasn’t too far away from her.

 

Cole asked, “Did you go shopping or something?” 

 

“If you consider looking through old things shopping,” Wu smiled. He took a green gi out of the bag. It wasn’t anything too special. It was pretty much the white gi they all had on right now but in a different color. 

 

Lloyd stood up and took it from Wu’s hands. “Is this for me?”

 

Wu nodded. “For all of you.” He took out an orange, red, magenta, blue, and black gi. “These were the _first_ uniforms the previous Masters had. Unfortunately, Zane, since your color is white, you’ll have to keep on the gi you have on right now.” 

 

Zane nodded and bowed.

 

Skylor grabbed the orange gi. “So these belonged to our parents?”

 

“Can I get a different color?” Nya complained. “Magenta isn’t too flattering on me.” 

 

“I think you look pretty in any color,” Jay mumbled. 

 

“You may customize your uniforms in time,” Wu explained. “For now, we’ll have to make do with what we have. We’ll do drills-” the Masters groaned, “-and then we’ll do a stakeout.”

 

“Already?” Lloyd asked. “Sensei, we’ve barely been practicing for a month.”

 

“ _They_ haven’t been practicing for a month. You’ve been training for years.” 

 

“I think what Lloyd means is that this is all moving pretty fast,” Kai said. “Why are we even doing a stakeout?”

 

“Steak out sounds good to me,” Cole exclaimed. "What restaurant are we going to?"

 

Zane lectured, “It’s a stake, S-T-A-K-E, out. Not the meat.”

 

“Have you kept up with the current news?” Wu questioned.

 

Skylor said, “No. We’ve been too busy training.”

 

“There have been reports of break-ins at warehouses not too far from here,” Wu explained. “If all of you, lead by Lloyd, camp out by the warehouse right outside of town, there is a possibility you could be stopping the Sons of Garmadon.”

 

“Lead?” Lloyd cried out. “Uncle, I can’t lead the team.”

 

“If you can’t then who will?”

 

“Kai could, probably.”

 

Kai let out a boastful laugh.

 

“Our first mission!” Jay exclaimed. “Now’s our time to prove our worth and gain trust in the government.”

 

“Is that an anime reference?” Cole asked.

 

“It’s what happens in every superhero movie. The hero's gotta show he's a good guy or else the FBI starts trying to kill you.”

 

Nya said, “Won’t we be recognized? I know it’ll be dark and all, but someone could figure out who we are.”

 

“Nya’s right,” Skylor said. “If we get on someone’s bad side, I wouldn’t want anyone knowing our faces.” 

 

Wu reached into the bag and took out color-coded masks.

 

“Oh. Okay then.”

\--------

 

Skylor looked in the mirror. The gi looked a bit tacky, and the mask wasn’t even the same shade of orange. 

 

She stepped out and went into the training room with everyone else. All of them were wearing their assigned uniforms.

 

“Gather your weapons,” Wu ordered. The Masters did as they were told. 

 

Jay laughed, “We look like ninjas.”

 

“We are not ninja,” Zane corrected. “Ninja come from the warriors in Japan and are typically Japanese. You are not Japanese.”

 

The masks only covered their foreheads and mouths. Skylor was afraid that their eyes would still give them away, but she knew complaining wasn’t going to get her anywhere. 

 

“I assume everyone has a cellular device?” Wu asked. Everyone took out their phones and showed them. 

 

“I don’t have a phone,” Lloyd announced.

 

“Well, then, you’ll just have to stick with someone who does have a phone. Masters, create a ‘group chat’. It’s a thing you can create on messaging apps.”

 

Skylor gave Wu a strange look as she exchanged phone numbers with the team and created a group text. Zane was the first to send a message.

> **Zane Julien: Hello!**

“I can’t name the group chat!” Jay complained. “Who here has an OverLoad phone instead of a BorgTech one like any proper human being?”

 

“Me,” Cole said.

 

“Oh. Well, OverLoad is a pretty great phone.”

 

“What were you going to name the group chat?”

 

“Everyone follow Lloyd’s command,” Wu said. “I will stay here at the temple.” 

 

“A mission where nobody knows what’s going on,” Nya grinned. “Sounds festive.”

 

“So are we gonna take a car, or…?” Kai asked.

 

“You’ll walk,” Wu said. 

 

\--------

 

“This is the place,” Skylor whispered. She was the one in charge of holding the map. It was hard to find the warehouse while simultaneously staying hidden from view. 

 

Kai scanned the building. “What’s the plan, Lloyd?”

 

“Well, actually,” Lloyd gulped, “I don’t think I should be the one leading.”

 

“Fair enough,” Jay shrugged. “Cole, got a plan?”

 

The Earth Master nodded. “Sure do. Lloyd and Zane go left, while Jay and I-”

 

“I believe it is only fair that Lloyd is the one to give orders,” Zane said. “After all, he is the most powerful out of all seven of us.”

 

“But I don’t think Lloyd wants to lead,” Nya observed. “We shouldn’t make him do anything he doesn’t want to do.” 

 

“Guys, we’re wasting time,” Skylor scolded. “The sooner we catch any bad guys, the sooner we can go home.”

 

“I’ll give orders,” Lloyd sighed. “So… Jay and Cole and Nya go right. Kai and Skylor go behind. Zane, go left. I’ll stay in front.”

 

“How are you gonna contact us?” Skylor asked. “You don’t have a phone.”

 

Lloyd thought for a moment. “I’ll just go back and forth with Zane. Any other questions?”

 

Everyone shook their heads.

 

“Alright,” Lloyd smiled weakly. “First mission. Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the very first mission... anthyding can hadplen!  
> In all seriousness, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I like writing Skylor as a main character since she hasn't been in a lot of seasons in the show.  
> Also, I will probably be updating around the weekend instead of Monday this following week due to Christmas Eve being a thing.   
> Have a great week, and happy holidays!


	23. XXII-Nya-XXII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello I Am Here With Another Update!  
> I'm assuming y'all have seen that trailer for s10. Yeah that has me STRESSED  
> Anywhom, enjoy!

“It’s been like, an hour,” Jay whined. “Can’t we go home?”

 

“I just want to change out of this color,” Nya mumbled. “It’s good on other people, but not me.”

 

“We can’t go,” Cole said. “Wu’s convinced some baddies are gonna show up, and we’re not gonna leave until they do.”

 

“What if they don’t,” Jay pointed out. “We’re gonna be here forever!” 

 

“Stop being overdramatic,” Nya said. “Something’s gonna show up sooner or later.” Jay gave the Water Master a look of uncertainty. “It’s your turn on lookout. Let us know if you see anything.”

 

Jay grumbled as he switched with Nya and sat next to Cole. The three were silent as Jay stared at the warehouse, waiting for anything to happen.

 

Nya was afraid this mission was going to be a flop. She wouldn’t be able to show her worth by doing stakeouts. She needed something to happen. A thug, a drug dealer- she didn’t care. She just needed to be out there. 

 

“What is up with that dude’s hair?” Jay whispered. “It’s like a spiky white bush. Doesn’t really go with the leather.”

 

Nya and Cole sat up.

 

“Wait, what dude?” Nya asked, getting closer. 

 

“The ugly anime one entering with a bunch of bi- oh.”

 

Cole exclaimed, “We have to let the others know. Nya, you start texting everyone else while Jay and I get closer. You can catch up with us when you’re done.”

 

Nya shook her head. “No way. I’m going right now.” She started walking away from their post and towards the warehouse. “Besides, I already see everyone else getting closer.” 

 

The three snuck to the door and met up with the other four by the time they got there. Zane opened the door and the Masters went in.

 

There was a single door that was already ajar. Nya made no hesitation to get as close as possible.

 

“Nya!” Kai hissed. “Wait for Lloyd!”

 

Nya watched the bikers go through the boxes of supplies.

 

“Get a little bit of everything,” the white-haired man told them. “But get as much vengestone as you can.”

 

“I am getting irritated at all these prepositions,” Zane grumbled.

 

“So what’s the plan?” Skylor asked Lloyd. “Do we barge in or do we keep spying?”

 

“Let’s wait and see what we can find,” Lloyd told the team. “We need to know what we’re up against.”

 

“Hey, guys,” Jay said, “since we’re like, ninja-”

 

“We’re not ninja,” Nya said.

 

“-and we don’t want anyone to know who we are, we should use codenames.”

 

“I like that idea,” Cole nodded. “I’m not doing it by color, though. Maybe we can make up names. Oh! I could be something deadly like Rocky… Danger. Buff.”

 

“Rocky Dangerbuff?” Nya repeated.

 

“I failed the improv segment at acting camp.”

 

“Guys, quiet,” Lloyd warned.

 

The Masters' attention was drawn back to the white-haired man. He was ranting to himself about how he’s stuck with the easy missions. 

 

“Why can’t we be with UV? Or the Big Man?” he asked no one in particular. He chuckled to himself. “Hell, I’m thankful whenever I’m in the same room as Mr. E.”

 

“Mystery?” Jay whispered.

 

“Is anyone writing this down?” Nya asked. “These are obviously important people in this group.”

 

“I already have it memorized,” Zane said. 

 

“That should be enough to satisfy,” the man announced to the bikers. “Let’s carry them out, one by one. Come on, everyone. Let’s go.”

 

“We can’t let them take away all that vengestone,” Nya whisper-shouted. “Now’s our chance!” 

 

“Wait, Nya-” Lloyd began to say. 

 

Buy Nya had already swung the door open, spear in hand. The bikers saw the seven Masters blocking their way.

 

“What the-?!” the man began to say.

 

“Stop whatever you’re doing right now!” Nya demanded. “Or else.”

 

The man stared at the seven, now with all their weapons out. There was a stunned silence. The room seemed to hold its breath. The man burst out laughing. The other bikers joined in. Nya’s shoulders dropped, along with her stomach.

 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he chuckled. “A bunch of kids are threatening me? By Saisho, what are you expecting? Who even are you toddlers?”

 

Skylor zoomed past everyone else and punched the man square in the jaw before anyone knew what was happening. He fell on the floor, and Skylor stood over proudly.   
Within seconds, all the other bikers ganged up on the Masters. Nya charged at the nearest one. The biker picked up a piece of wood from a crate and made it his weapon. Nya stabbed through it with her spear and threw him against the wall. She was sure to be quick about anyone else attacking her. She couldn’t mess up. Everything had to be perfect. 

 

As soon as the white-haired man stood up, Nya ran over to him and pointed her spear at his throat.

 

“Who are you working for?” she yelled.

 

The man put a smug grin on his face. “Wouldn’t you like to know, Pinkie?”

 

Nya twirled her spear and hit him in the head with the butt. “It’s magenta.” 

 

The man stood up and charged angrily at Nya. She dodged and held him back best she could with her spear. Using all her force, she jabbed right between his ribcage, knocking the wind out of him.

 

“Wait, what are we doing?” Jay exclaimed from across the room. “We have powers!” That was followed by a flash of lighting and a few panicked shouts. The other Masters followed him and used their own abilities.

 

The white-haired man gaped at the sight of these children using god-like abilities. 

 

“You’re-” he stammered. He shot up and ran towards the door. “Everyone scram!” he ordered. The bikers began racing towards the nearest exit. The man stopped in his tracks when he saw Zane at the door waving his pointing finger.

 

“No, no,” he said. “I dialed emergency services some time ago. They should be here any minute.” 

 

“You little rascal!” Kai teased. “When did you have time to call the cops?” 

 

“Ice Masters make do.”

 

Red and blue lights shone from the dirty windows and the cops stormed in. Nya tried stopping as many bikers as she could from running out. Policemen and women threw the criminals on the ground and cuffed them. 

 

By the time the commotion died down, the Masters were being questioned by the police, and the captured bikers were being taken away. 

 

Nya looked around at the crowd. “Where’s the white-haired dude?” she asked.

 

“He probably got away,” the commissioner said, jotting some notes down on a pad. Nya could barely tell what he was saying because of his bushy grey mustache covering his face. “We weren’t able to get everybody.”

 

Nya shot a worried look at the other Masters. In return, she got slightly irritated looks. She stared down at her feet.

 

“Now, I’m going to ask you to take off your masks.”

 

“Oh, we can’t do that, sir,” Cole said. “It’s sort of a secret identity thing.”

 

“Like superheroes!” Jay added. 

 

“Can I get anything?” the commissioner cried out. “Names? Address? For all we know, you’re just as bad as these gang members. I could have my men rip those masks off your face with or without your permission.” 

 

“With all due respect, Head Policeman,” Lloyd began.

 

“Commissioner,” Zane corrected. 

 

“Hm?”

 

“They are called ‘commissioner’.”

 

“Commissioner,” Lloyd said. “We came here because we knew that there was trouble brewing and we want to stop it. I can assure you, we only want to help Jago. And we'll do anything to prove to you that we're on your side.”

 

“Please don’t make us Public Enemy Number One,” Jay begged. “Just let us go.”

 

The commissioner gave Jay an annoyed look. “Well, I need something to call you in these reports. Plus, the press is going to be here soon, and they’re going to want to talk to you seven.”

 

“We’re Masters,” Nya stated. “The Main Masters.”

 

“Energy, Reflection, Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, and Earth,” Lloyd informed, going in the order in which they were standing. 

 

“Isn’t that something,” the commissioner mumbled. “The last time there were all these Masters together, it was during the Serpentine Wars. You sure this team up is necessary for a few robberies?”

 

“Positive,” Skylor said. 

 

The commissioner closed his notepad. “Alright. But I’ve got my eye on you and your baggy clothes. One wrong move and I won’t hesitate to rip off those masks.”

 

\--------

 

After being pestered by the media, the Masters slipped away and made their way back to the temple. They made sure nobody noticed them walking in through the front door. As soon as they were safe inside, they made their way to the living room and took off their masks.

 

Wu was staring at the brand new television that he just installed. 

 

“I see you made the news,” he said.

 

“Whaaaaaat!” Jay exclaimed. “You got a T.V.?”

 

“Yes. It’s very bright.”

 

“The mission went great!” Nya sighed with relief. “We got the bad guys and everything went so well.”

 

“Yeah… except for a few things,” Lloyd said.

 

“What’s that?”

 

“Well, for one,” Skylor input, “the one in charge of the operation got away.”

 

“That,” Cole added, “and you didn’t follow orders.”

 

Nya stared in disbelief. “What?”

 

“You charged ahead before I could say anything,” Lloyd said. “If we hadn’t trained as much as we did, we would have been screwed.”

 

“But everything still went well, didn’t it?” Nya defended.

 

“Nya,” Wu scolded. “Lloyd is right. He’s our team leader. You should always consult him first.”

 

The Water Master averted her gaze. She was so caught up in having her moment she didn’t even realize… 

 

“Ugh, I feel awful,” Nya confessed. “I’m sorry. I’ll try not to do that ever again.”

 

Wu nodded approvingly. “Now, who wants take out?”

 

**_-Extra P.O.V-_ **

 

“UV…” Luke’s voice trembled.

 

“You _insufferable moron!_ ” Ultra Violet sneered. “You could have been caught. You could have ruined this whole mission- the whole purpose of this foundation. You couldn’t fight back against **CHILDREN!** ” She threw another dagger at the man tied to the wall. It landed mere inches away from his neck. 

 

“They weren’t normal kids,” Luke sobbed. His wrists stung from the tightly knotted ropes. “I’m telling you- they were Masters!”

 

“And Killow can fit through any door frame!” UV screamed in his face. 

 

“It’s all over the news!” he exclaimed. “I swear- we had no chance!”

 

UV laughed. “I’m not about to tell the Quiet One that we now have to worry about these snowflakes.” She walked away from Luke, still laughing. “What kind of powers do they have anyway? I’m sure they’re the small and puny ones.”

 

Luke swallowed nervously. “W-well, one of them had lightning.”

 

“Lightning,” she mumbled. “ _Lighting!_ ” she screamed. “ _SAISHO DAMN IT!_ ” She flung another knife. It cut the rope restraining Luke, close enough to where it didn’t hit any skin. “I am not going to be the one to tell the news that we now have to worry about these _fucking Masters_.” More laughter. She couldn't control herself. She threw another knife that cut the other rope. Luke hit the floor with a thud.

 

“I understand,” he said quietly. Luke ran out as fast as he could, leaving Ultra Violet alone with her own maniacal laughter echoing through the walls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. That's their first mission. Many more to come ;D  
> Happy Holidays to all! I hope you spend it with the ones you love.  
> Thanks to everyone once more, and I'll be back before New Years!
> 
> P.S. sorry for that one (1) curse word. There's gonna be a few in this story. Please don't leave


	24. XXIII-Skylor-XXIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAHHHH SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE! My alarm to remind me didn't go off and everything became so distracting with the holidays and all. Luckily it's all over now so I can update in peace. Enjoy!

Skylor sealed the envelope and placed it on the counter. 

 

“You said the mailman comes today, right?” she asked Master Wu. 

 

“Correct,” he answered. “Around noon.”

 

The Masters were all sitting around the table eating breakfast. Master Wu let them start training an hour later because of the long night they had. 

 

“Your face looks a bit swollen,” Kai pointed out. “Are you okay?”

 

Skylor put her hand on the cheek that’s been sore all morning. “Yeah. One of the bikers hit me pretty hard.” 

 

“Yeah, but you punched that one dude SUPER hard,” Nya exclaimed. “That was cool.”

 

Skylor felt a small smile form on her face. “Thanks.”

 

“Guys, have you been online at all?” Cole asked everybody.

 

“Are we famous?” Jay blurt out. 

 

“Why would fame and popularity matter,” Zane said, “if what is really important is the fact that we are dedicating our lives to protect and maintain the balance of the-”

 

“We’re totally blowing up,” Cole said.

 

“I would like to know what the people have to say.” 

 

Lloyd looked over Kai’s shoulder. “Well, there’s a lot of criticism on the gi.” 

 

Nya scoffed. “I don’t blame them.” 

 

Skylor leaned in towards the group.

 

“Besides the baggy clothes-” she shot a look at Wu “-what else do they have to say?”

 

Jay scrolled through his phone. “Uh… ‘This is a hoax’, ‘They’re doing the devil’s work’, ‘I don’t want my child looking up to these h-’. Oh, wait. This is an Anti-Saisho Religion group.”

 

“I don’t think people know what to think of us yet,” Kai said. “I mean, no one really saw us fight except for the Sons of Garmadon.”

 

“Are you suggesting we just go out into the city and beat up the first person we see doing bad things?” Nya asked.

 

Cole leaned back in his chair. “Sounds good.”

 

“No,” Wu said. “No one is beating up random civilians.”

 

“There’s nothing to do right now,” Skylor spoke. “And we don’t have any way to know if there are any attacks.”

 

“We could keep the channel on the news,” Lloyd suggested.

 

“All the news talks about is politics,” Jay whined, “and it’s depressing.”

 

“It is our best bet,” Zane said. “If there is anything happening in the city, it will appear first on television.”

 

“It’s inefficient,” Skylor admitted, “but it’s our best bet.”

 

Lloyd agreed. “We just have to keep it on the news station. Does anyone have the remote?”

 

“I think Kai was the last one to use it before we all went to bed,” Cole said. 

 

“Way to throw me under the bus,” Kai scoffed. “But the remote isn't where I put it last night.”

 

“Where’d you put it?” Nya asked.

 

Kai went silent.

 

“You don’t remember, do you?”

 

After some useless bickering, Skylor walked over to the couch and pulled the remote from in between the cushions. Everyone fell silent and continued eating.

 

\--------

 

Skylor was usually patient. She was patient in past relationships. She was patient in waiting rooms. Hell, she used to work in customer service. She HAD to be patient. But this was getting on her nerves. It was already half past twelve, and there was no sign of the mailman. 

 

The letter to her dad was sitting idle, and the longer it sat there, the more Skylor wanted to be rid of it. She was over-analyzing everything she wrote down and contemplated multiple times to throw it away. Instead, she just stared at the envelope with a dull look in her eyes. 

 

“You okay, Skylor?” Kai asked from the lunch table. “You’ve hardly touched your food.”

 

“I’m just waiting,” Skylor answered. 

 

“I wouldn’t count on the mailman being here on time,” Lloyd said. “Sometimes he doesn’t even come until dinnertime.”

 

“But Master Wu said-”

 

“Sh! He might hear you!” Jay cried.

 

“He’s in his room,” Cole said flatly. “He can’t hear us.”

 

“Should we really be trash talking Sensei?” Nya wondered aloud. “I mean, the dude _is_ training us.”

 

Lloyd sighed. “Well, I can tell you that Wu isn’t always the most reliable with information.”

 

Skylor sighed and walked to the front door. She just stood there, waiting. It wasn’t long before Kai came up behind her.

 

“You’re really eager to send that letter, huh?” he asked.

 

“More or less,” she replied, eyes still on the door. “You seem really eager to talk to me.”

 

Kai laughed. “More or less.”

 

Skylor smiled. “Why’d you come over here anyway?”

 

“You look like you needed some company,” he answered. “Also, the lunch break is almost over. We need you in the training room.”

 

Skylor began walking with Kai when there was a knock on the door. She ran into the kitchen, grabbed the letter, and ran back to the door before opening it. There was a man wearing all purple with a straw hat on the top of his head. He had a satchel filled to the brink with papers.

 

“Is Wu Garmadon here?” he asked, pushing up his glasses. 

 

“Are you the mailman?” Skylor asked. The mailman nodded. “Yes, Wu lives here.”

 

The mailman handed Skylor a few letters. “Anything you want me to deliver?”

 

Skylor held out the letter as Kai read the ones given.

 

“How many tea newsletters is Wu signed up for?” he mumbled to himself.

 

“Now, one more thing-” the mailman asked, “do you know where Skylor Chen is?”

 

The Reflection Master looked confused. “That’s me.”

 

“Oh, thank Saisho!” he praised. “I was running late all day because I couldn’t find you. People always forget to update their address when they move.” He reached into his bag and pulled out another letter. “This one’s for you.”

 

She took it cautiously. Why would anyone write to her?

 

The mailman waved goodbye and Skylor closed the door. Kai looked over her shoulder. 

 

“Who’s it from?” he asked.

 

Skylor opened the letter and read through it. “Baransu Mental Institute,” she answered quietly. “They now have visiting hours.”

 

“Does that mean you’ll have to see your dad soon?”

 

Would she? She’s been writing letters for years now. If she even skipped a single month, her dad’s letter would go on and on about how she didn’t love him, and how she’s too good for him. It made Skylor feel terrible. Would there now be this expectation for her to show up in person? How often? What would her father say if she didn’t show up? 

 

She took a deep breath and folded up the letter.

 

“Don’t worry about it,” she said. “Come on, let’s keep training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanna say Happy New Year to all of my readers. I hope everyone has a good 2019!


	25. XXIV-Cole-XXIV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday!  
> Before we start I'd like to take a moment to thank everyone that ever commented, put a kudos to this story, or even just read it by itself. It truly means a lot to me and I wanna let you guys know that I love each and every one of you <3\. Enjoy!

Cole couldn’t sleep. He’s been tossing and turning for hours but he just wouldn't doze off. It’s been a while since he’s been kept up at night. After his mom died, Cole couldn’t sleep for weeks. 

 

Giving up, the Earth Master grabbed his phone and started scrolling through. He saw his text notifications. Over 20 unread messages from Seilel.

> **Seliel:** do u want me to break u out  
>  **Seliel:** i will totally break u out  
>  **Seliel:** rebel against authority and run  
>  **Seliel:** whatev ur not gonna get these texts  
>  **Seliel:** still gonna spam u  
>  **Seliel:** have fun at acting camp 

There were more, but Cole didn’t want to read through them all. He felt guilty about not telling Seliel the truth. But what would he even say? She didn’t even know Cole was a Master.

 

He opened up one of his social media apps, Hisser. He barely went on it, but he’s been using it a lot more after he followed the other Masters on it. The app loaded, and the first hiss that popped up was from two minutes ago.

> **@junkyard_boi**  
>  what is even up with monkeys they just ooh eeh ooh ah ah why do they exist

Cole opened up private messages.

 

**@bucketofrocks:** why are you awake  
**@junkyard_boi:** oh shit  
**@junkyard_boi:** why are YOU awake  
**@bucketofrocks:** hfs  
**@bucketofrocks:** I’m going to your room  
**@junkyard_boi:** wait no im not wearing pants  
**@bucketofrocks:** are you wearing underwear  
**@junkyard_boi:** of course i am wtf

 

Cole got out of bed and went to Jay’s room. The Lightning Master sat on top of the covers wearing a large shirt and boxers.

 

“You wear a tank top to bed?” Jay asked.

 

“Yes,” Cole whispered. “Be quiet. Everyone else is sleeping.” He sat down next to Jay.

 

“What are you doing in here anyway?”

 

Cole sat down next to Jay. “Just concerned as to why you’re up at 2 am.”

 

“Don’t worry about me! This is like a daily thing.”

 

“ _DAILY?_ ”

 

“Besides,” continued Jay, “we’re only here for the mission. You shouldn’t get strung up on me.”

 

Cole paused for a moment. “Well- yeah I guess. But I can still be worried, y’know.”

 

“Alright. Tell me why you’re awake then.”

 

“Are you serious?”

 

“Come on!” Jay persuaded. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

 

Cole smiled. “This isn’t middle school, Jay.”

 

“Well, yeah. In middle school, I could only stare at you but now I get to actually talk to you. It’s a full circle.”

 

“I don’t think you’re using that phrase correctly, but fine. If I’m being totally honest, I don’t know why I’m awake. The last time I was kept up was because my mom had… passed.”

 

Jay looked down, looking like he regretted talking in the first place. “Oh. I’m so sorry.”

 

“It’s fine. I’m probably just stressed or something. Now, why are you up?”

 

Jay laid down on his back. “Uhhhh funky dreams. Yeah, that’s about it.”

 

Cole thought for a second. “Are these nightmares?”

 

Jay sat up straight. “No! Actually yes, but they’re nothing. It’s okay, I’m okay, we’re all okay! I haven’t had to go see a therapist since _ninth_ grade. I’m right as Rayne.” He laughed at the last comment. 

 

“What?”

 

“Get it? Because that’s my middle name and-”

 

“Ooh, okay, You only ever mentioned it once so.”

 

Jay cleared his throat. “Okay, goodnight.”

 

Cole stood up and began to leave. He stopped at the door and turned around.

 

“Hey,” he offered, “if you ever need to talk about something… you can talk to me.”

 

Jay stared for a second or two before nodding. Cole then left.

 

He felt like he needed to protect Jay. While the two were getting to know each other, he would have to earn his trust. He didn’t want Jay to ever get hurt. Cole sat on his own bed.

 

He guessed that’s how he felt about the others, he supposed.

 

\--------

 

Cole threw a few more punches at Zane before taking a break.

 

“This is impossible!” he complained. “I can’t hit you. I give up.” He sat down on the floor with the rest of his teammates.

 

Zane furrowed his eyebrows. “You cannot ‘give up’. The fate of Jago depends on the Masters-”

 

“Yeah, yeah, we all know,” Cole said, swatting his hand up and down. “The main eight Masters gotta restore the balance in the universe and all that jazz.” He grabbed a nearby water bottle and drank down half of it in a swing. 

 

Everyone in the room was sweaty and panting- well, except for Zane. They’ve been training all day in the summer heat, and Wu refused to turn on the AC. Zane, for whatever reason, looked like he could train for a hundred years more. Cole assumed that the Ice Master carried out this perfect healthy lifestyle that made him unable to sweat. Or maybe he was using his ice powers.

 

Sensei Wu entered the room. “Training for today is complete,” he announced. “Dinner will be ready shortly.”

 

The Masters stood up and began to leave the room. Kai stopped Cole in the doorway.

 

“Cole,” he wheezed, “for Saisho’s sake. Put on a shirt. You’ve been shirtless since noon.”

 

Cole frowned. “I’m sweaty.”

 

“So am I, but you don’t see me showing off my sixteen-pack.” 

 

Nya shouted from down the hall, “You don’t even have muscle!”

 

“Also,” Jay chipped in, “it’s a _six_ pack!”

 

“Fine,” Cole surrendered. He picked up his tank top that he threw off shortly after lunch and put it on. “I’ll see you at the table.”

 

Kai left the training room, and Cole walked out shortly after. When he got in the hallway, he saw that Lloyd was leaning against the wall, looking worried.

 

“Cole,” he said, meeting his gaze. “Can I talk to you for a sec?” 

 

Lloyd and Cole walked over to the garden. The sky was beginning to turn gold, but the temperature stayed up. Cole looked around at all the overgrown plants and weeds and wondered how long the garden has been here. He wondered if his mom ever walked here.

 

Lloyd sat down on a dirty stone bench in the middle of the garden. He was wearing his green gi from their first mission. He looked sick, and it wasn’t from the training. His small body made him look even weaker when he was upset.

 

Cole remained standing and looked down on the Energy Master. Lloyd was quiet for the longest time as if he were waiting for Cole to ask him what’s wrong. 

 

“I was thinking about the conversation earlier,” he finally said, “between you and Zane. It was super short, but… something you said caught my attention.”

 

Cole raised an eyebrow. “Was it the giving up part? Because I wasn’t talking about from the team.”

 

“No, I got that.” Lloyd tugged at his gi. “I was talking about when you interrupted Zane. You said ‘eight main Masters’. That’s what all the stories say, too. Master Wu isn’t one of the main eight, though. The main eight are the ones that are supposed to keep Creation, Wu, and Destruction balanced."

 

Cole wasn’t catching on. “So?”

 

“How many of us are there, training right now?”

 

Cole counted mentally. There was Skylor, Kai and Nya. That made three. Then there was Zane, Jay, and Lloyd. That was six. Counting himself, that made seven Masters. Cole blinked. No, that couldn’t have been right. He counted again. Then again. Then one last time, very slowly.

 

“We’re short a Master,” Cole realized.

 

Lloyd nodded. “We can’t save the world and restore balance if we only have seven out of eight Masters; the problem is, we don’t know who it is or what they’re the Master of.”

 

Cole fell silent for a few moments.

 

“Shouldn’t this be a team discussion?” he asked. “Why are you telling just me?”

 

“Because, if I tell the whole team, Wu could hear what we’re talking about. But he insists that he’s right about everything, and right now he says we have all the Masters we need.”

 

Cole wanted to argue. After all, Wu seemed more than open to welcoming Zane onto the team even when he wasn’t listed. Still, Lloyd knew Wu better. Cole knows that families aren’t always what they seemed. He decided to take Lloyd’s word for it and keep it between the two. 

 

“You promise not to tell another soul?” Lloyd asked.

 

“I promise,” Cole said. “I’ll swear on my life.”

 

Okay, actually, Cole might have told one other person. 

 

\--------

 

“WE’RE MISSING A WHOLE MASTER?!” Jay screamed during another 2 a.m. discussion. 

 

“ _Quiet!_ ” Cole scolded. “We don’t want the whole team to know. I promised Lloyd that I’d keep it between us.”

 

“Well, now I know not to tell you all of my deep dark secrets,” Jay joked. 

 

Cole sighed. “Just- don’t tell anyone else, okay?”

 

Jay gave a thumbs up before Cole left to go back to his room.

 

\-------

 

The next day, Cole was taking his lunch break when Nya came up to him.

 

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I won’t tell anybody.”

 

Cole nearly choked on his sandwich. 

 

“Jay told you?!” he strained.

 

“He looked like he was about to explode. I asked him what was wrong and…” Nya let out a small laugh before going back to sit with her brother. At this rate, the entire world would know before dinner. Maybe telling Jay wasn't the best idea.

 

Cole put his head down on the table and groaned in shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this week! Anybody wanna take any guesses on who this "Mystery Master" is...? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	26. XXV-Nya-XXV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYO I'M EARLIER THAN USUAL  
> Before we start, I wanna tell you guys that this chapter will introduce a ~brand new~ character. A while ago, the ever so famous Tommy Andreasen tweeted that he imagined Ronin having a daughter named Willow. Because I have no impulse control, I decided to make Willow into an actual character. I hope you guys like her <3 Enjoy!

“Thanks for coming with me, guys,” Skylor said. “We shouldn’t be here too long.”

 

Nya, Kai, and Skylor were walking around the streets of the capital city of Jago, Baransu. Wu let them have the day off because Skylor insisted it was important. All they had to do was pick up Skylor’s resignation check and then visit her father. 

 

“No problem,” Kai smiled. He then turned to his sister. “I heard you and Jay talking yesterday.”

 

Nya played dumb. “Talking about what?”

 

“We’re missing a Master.”

 

Skylor heard them. 

 

“We’re missing a Master?” she exclaimed. 

 

“Kai!” Nya hissed. “No one was supposed to know that!”

 

Kai shrugged. “It’s not my fault Jay is a loud talker. The way he said it was hilarious, too. ‘A _whole_ Master!’” He stopped to laugh. “Like there’s a possibility we’d be missing half a Master or something.” 

 

“This is serious,” Skylor said. “Although, I don’t think there’s much we can do about it now. Let’s just not talk about it, okay? We’re almost there.”

 

Kai nodded and walked right alongside Skylor. Nya’s face flushed pink. She felt like she let the team down in a way. Everyone knew this big secret that wasn’t supposed to get out in the first place. She kind of blamed herself.

 

Nya watched as the city faded from grand to not-so-grand. The buildings were nicer than what she used to live in, but they were kind of a let down compared to what else the city had to offer. Skylor stopped at a pawn shop that connected to an apartment above. The shop was called _Your Friendly Neighborhood Pawn Shop_.

 

“I feel like we’re definitely gonna be murdered,” Kai said. Nya nodded in agreement.

 

Skylor opened the door and the three walked in. The place was crowded with overpriced knickknacks and weapons. It reeked of tax fraud. Nya eyed a sign of a vintage looking woman holding a bottle and smiling sweetly. Next to her in cursive letters, it said, _Don’t talk to me while I’m drinking wine… SO NEVER TALK TO ME!_

 

Nya was concerned for whoever would buy that thinking it was funny and quirky. 

 

At the back of the shop, a middle-aged looking man sat at the register. He wore a teal, long sleeved shirt. On his right eye, he wore some strange hybrid of an eyepatch and a monocle. Covering his lanky brown hair was a red straw hat. Behind him was a door, which Nya assumed lead to his apartment.

 

“Skylor,” he greeted. “Always a pleasure.”

 

Skylor smiled grimly. “Ronin.”

 

“I see you brought me some customers,” he said.

 

Nya spoke up. “I’m Nya. This is my brother, Kai.”

 

“We’re not interested in buying anything,” Kai clarified. “Skylor’s just here to pick up her check.”

 

Ronin nodded and took some papers and checks from his desk. 

 

“Y’know, it’s a shame you won’t be working at Chen’s anymore,” he said. “But I guess it’s for the better if you’re trying to save the universe or some shit.”

 

Nya’s heart skipped a beat. “I’m sorry?”

 

“Skylor’s a Master,” Ronin stated. “She wasn’t good at making friends in the workplace, so seeing that she suddenly made two friends within a month, I can only assume you two are Masters, too.”

 

Nya nervously glanced over at Skylor who looked like she just swallowed sand.

 

“You… you knew about that?” she stuttered. 

 

Ronin smirked. “Of course I knew. When I was buying the shop from your father, he wouldn’t shut up about it. You’re his proudest accomplishment.” He slid a check across the desk for Skylor to sign.

 

“Skylor didn’t know she was a Master until she met Lloyd, though,” Nya explained. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

Ronin shrugged. “It’s not supposed to be a thing you speak publicly about. I may be a crook, but I can keep a secret. Speaking of which, I think we should stop discussing this. My daughter is about to walk in the shop.”

 

“You have a daughter?” Skylor asked.

 

Before Ronin could answer, a teenage girl burst through the door.

 

“'SUP, BIOTCHES,” she yelled.

 

“Willow,” Ronin said flatly. “Watch your mouth. We have guests.”

 

Nya looked at the girl closely. “Willow…” she mumbled under her breath. 

 

“My bad,” Willow apologized. She ran her fingers through her brown pixie cut.

 

Skylor blinked a few times before turning her attention away. Nya, on the other hand, couldn’t take her eyes off of the newcomer. Willow seemed to be the only one dressed appropriately for summer. She wore a white tank top, shorts, and deep purple sneakers. Tied around her waist was a navy blue one-button coat. 

 

“Will, could you go upstairs and grab my other checkbook?” Ronin asked his daughter. He handed Skylor her check of resignation.

 

Willow went behind the register and opened up the door behind Ronin. “Sure. Be right back.” She turned and waved to the group of three. “See y’all soon!” The door closed.

 

Skylor pocketed the check. “I think we’re done here.”

 

“Nope. I have a little something for all of you. If you ever need anything, you can always come to my place to get some weapons,” Ronin offered.

 

Kai shuddered. “I don’t think we’ll be coming back.”

 

Ronin chucked, “You’ll be needing my help eventually. Besides, I’d love to meet the rest of the team. There’s eight of you, right?” 

 

“Actually,” Nya said quietly, “there’s only seven right now. We’ll work on the missing one.”

 

“I can’t believe I’m asking the pawn shop owner I just met this but-” Kai took a deep breath. “-do you have any clue as to who else could be a Master?”

 

Ronin was deep in thought for a few moments. For a hot second, it looked as though a light bulb lit up in his mind, but then he quickly dismissed it.

 

“Nope,” he said. “Sorry.”

 

Willow came out from the door with a checkbook on hand. Ronin started scribbling in some things.

 

“You guys come here often?” Willow asked, sitting on the desk.

 

Skylor shook her head. “We’re just stopping by.”

 

“I recognize you,” Willow pointed at Skylor. “You’ve stopped by the shop a couple of times. It’s Skylor, right?” Before Skylor could answer, Willow turned her attention to the siblings. “I’ve never seen you two.”

 

Nya took this as an opportunity to introduce herself. “I’m N-”

 

“Wait!” Willow exclaimed. “I wanna guess.” She looked at Kai. “You look like a… Chad. Or a Vincent. Something with a fuckboy kind of vibe.”

 

Kai looked taken aback. “Excuse me? What makes you think you can call me-”

 

“And you,” Willow said calmly as if she didn’t just set Kai off, “look like a May. Maybe a Kelly... No definitely a May.”

 

Nya laughed. “Actually my name’s Nya. The one that you insulted is my brother, Kai.”

 

Willow smirked and shrugged. “Close enough. You seem cool. You should swing by again sometime.”  
Ronin said, “Sweetie if you’re done being the fantastical unique person that is you, I’d like to talk to my patrons now.” The very impactful girl went back upstairs. It was clear Kai did not like her, but Nya thought she seemed pretty neat.

 

“I don’t like the sound of ‘patrons’,” Nya confessed. “It’s unsettling.”

 

“Like that gremlin you call your child,” Kai chipped in. 

 

“Kai!” Skylor scolded, although it was obvious she enjoyed his commentary. She took the new check from Ronin. “What’s this for?”

 

“The economy is becoming more and more fragile minute by minute. Luckily, a crook like me is generous enough to give some cash to hard-working kids like you.” Skylor handed the check to Kai to pocket. He looked at the amount. 

 

“Holy crap,” he breathed. “900,000 dollars?”

 

Nya snatched the check from him to see for herself. The amount was on there, clear as day. She never even imagined earning that much money, especially from a dusty-looking pawn shop owner.

 

“There’s more where that came from,” Ronin promised. 

 

“How?”

 

“I have my ways. You guys will be needing a lot of money if you want to save the city.”

 

Skylor choked on her words. “Mr. Kage, I-”

 

“Run along. You got places to be.”

 

\--------

 

“Nine hundred thousand dollars,” Nya whispered to herself. The three had just gotten on an elevator making its way up to the top floor.

 

“Still can’t believe it, huh?” Skylor asked. Nya shook her head. “Me either.”

 

“I could buy so much skin products with that,” Kai awed. “I would glow like hell!”

 

“We could also, oh I don’t know,” Nya shrugged, “buy actual nice outfits that don’t look like trash?”

 

“Maybe a nice shirt or two… or ten. And a new leather jacket.”

 

“Are you even listening to me?”

 

The elevator stopped. The doors opened after being followed by a pleasant “ding”. Skylor became stiff.

 

“We’re here,” she said.

 

The three stepped out of the elevator and made their way to the front desk. The room was completely blank. It was extremely cold and unsettling. Nothing about this building made Nya feel welcome. She would have hated to admit it, but she would rather be back in the pawn shop right now. An accountant was typing on a computer before she looked up. 

 

“Name?” the accountant asked. No “Hello” or “Hi, how may I help you?” 

 

“Chen,” said Skylor.

 

The accountant opened a drawer and took out a keychain. She left her desk and motioned Skylor to follow them.

 

“Only family members can visit,” the accountant told Kai and Nya. “You’ll have to wait over there.” They pointed to a row of chairs near the wall. Nya complied and sat down right away.

 

“I’m not letting her go in there alone,” Kai argued. 

 

“Kai,” Skylor reassured. “I’ll be fine.” Kai reluctantly sat down next to his sister and let out a sigh. The two watched the accountant and Skylor open the heavily locked door and walk in.

 

“It’s just a visit,” Nya told her brother. “She won’t get hurt.”

 

Kai grumbled, “Yeah, but her dad’s a psychopath. Remember when this kook bombed a whole street? _Thirty_ people either got injured or died.”

 

Nya nodded solemnly. “We were eight years old. I didn’t really understand what was happening, but Mom and Dad seemed upset about it, so I knew it was something bad.”

 

“And he did it all ‘in the name of the Serpentine’. Imagine one day if your only family pulled something like that out of nowhere.”

 

“He’s locked up now,” Nya whispered. She looked at her brother. He had this expression on his face that Nya couldn’t quite figure out. Suddenly, it hit her. He looked sad.

 

Kai brushed his hair out of his face. “Skylor deserved more.”

 

Nya took a deep breath. “You really care about her, huh?” Kai playfully punched her.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“What? I didn’t say anything!” The twins laughed together, making the room a little less unsettling.

 

Kai teased, “What about you? Anyone you ‘really care about’?”

 

Nya smirked. “No. We have an evil organization to stop. Relationships aren’t my main priority. Saving Jago and stopping the Sons of Garmadon is.”

 

“Liar. Your main priority is to be rid of those hideous uniforms.”

 

“They’re so ugly!”

 

“Shameful, really. I could design something better with my eyes closed.”

 

“You can barely make a sword with your eyes open, you idiot.”

 

Kai was about to retaliate when they heard the door open. Skylor stepped out, eyes puffy. Kai stood up immediately and went to her side. The two talked to each other quietly. Nya couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she imagined Kai was comforting Skylor. 

 

Nya was sort of lying earlier when she said she didn’t care about relationships. A part of her always wanted somebody to be close to. But she had to be a hero. She couldn’t let herself get distracted. That’s not what her mom would have done.

 

The three got back in the elevator and made their way down.

 

“Are you good, Skylor?” Nya asked. 

 

Skylor nodded. “Yeah. It’s just been a while since I’ve seen my dad, that’s all.”

 

They exited the building and Nya felt herself shrivel up in the summer heat. She was almost tempted to take off her leather jacket. Almost. In her pocket, Nya’s phone suddenly blew up with notifications. They were all sent about ten minutes ago, but the Institute had such terrible service none of it went through.

> **Jay:** HI  
>  **Jay:** I GOT NEWS  
>  **Jay:** are you there????  
>  **(14) Missed Calls from Jay**  
>  **Jay:** Skylor and Kai won’t answer either :(((  
>  **Jay:** call me back asap ok  
>  **Jay:** this intel is EPIC B^)  
>  **Jay:** I’ll stop now sorry  
>  **Jay:** but seriously call me when you can 

“What’s up?” Skylor asked when she saw Nya looking at her phone.

 

“I got a bunch of texts from Jay. He says he has news.”

 

“Call him and put him on speaker,” Kai said. “I wanna see if he says anything embarrassing.”

 

Nya dialed Jay’s number. It barely rang for two seconds when he picked up.

 

“Nya?” Jay said from the other end of the line. 

 

“Hi,” Nya greeted. “You said you have ‘epic intel’?”

 

Jay laughed. “Yeah. I don’t know if you’ve checked social media lately, but a certain famous man by the name of Cyrus Borg posted something recently.” Nya could almost hear the snarky face he was making.

 

“Cyrus Borg? What did he say?” Skylor questioned.

 

Jay didn’t speak for a moment. “Am I on speaker phone?”

 

“No,” Kai answered.

 

“Oh, okay. Anyway- Cyrus posted that he wants to meet up with the Masters!”

 

Nya’s jaw dropped. “Are you serious?”

 

“Yeah! He said he was super interested in them and invited them to go over to Borg Towe- wait a sec; Lloyd wants to talk to you for a sec.”

 

“Nya?” Lloyd’s voice said over the phone. “Are Skylor and Kai with you?”

 

“We’re here,” Kai announced. 

 

“So I was thinking we should meet you at Borg Towers. We’ll bring your gi.”

 

“Sounds good,” Nya said. “Is Wu coming?”

 

“Actually,” Lloyd confessed sheepishly, “he doesn’t want us to go.”

 

Skylor snickered, “That being said, see you at Borg Tower!”

 

The call ended, and the three started walking to meet Cyrus Borg. Nya could feel her own heartbeat. Only one mission, and one of the most brilliant geniuses in the world wanted to meet them. She was exhilarated.

 

“Borg is that dude in the wheelchair, right…?” Kai mumbled with uncertainty.

 

“How do you not know who Cyrus Borg is? He’s the mastermind behind your beloved phone,” Nya scolded.

 

Kai shrugged and kept walking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week: bOrG  
> That's it for this week. Also, happy 8 year anniversary to Ninjago!!!


	27. XXVI-Zane-XXVI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Shout out to y'all in the comments for being a phat mood lmao. Enjoy :)

Zane drove Lloyd, Cole, and Jay towards Borg Tower. The sun was beginning to set by the time they got there. Skylor, Kai, and Nya were sitting on the sidewalk. 

 

“You got the gi?” Kai asked as they stepped out of the car. Cole took out a large duffle bag from the trunk.

 

“Let’s change somewhere we can’t be seen,” Cole suggested. He kept eyeing the patrol droids that walked around the city. He looked at them like they were up to no good. Zane wondered if Cole knew that droids were used for security in heavily populated places in the city.

 

“We should put the uniforms on in the alleyway,” Zane offered. “Then, we go around and enter from the side entrance. We cause less suspicion that way.” The team followed Zane’s plan and now stood in front of the huge glass doors leading into Jago’s most revolutionary companies of all time.

 

“Anyone else a little embarrassed?” Nya asked. “I mean, this place is top notch, and we look like homeless teenagers in these baggy clothes.”

 

“You guys may look hideous,” Kai bragged, “but I always look great. I could be wearing a clown suit and-”

 

Lloyd cleared his throat loudly. “We’re about to enter so if you could try to make a good first impression, that’d be great.”

 

Zane inspected the first floor of the building. The walls were mostly composed of glass. In the middle and in the back, there were elevators. Most people used the elevator in the back. There were people inside, some working, others visiting. A handful of droids stood idle as well. There wasn’t too much to look at, but Zane knew that the real work happened on the various floors above. Zane went to reach for the handle, but the doors opened automatically. He heard Jay behind him gasp in awe.

 

“Are you fascinated with Mr. Borg’s work?” Zane asked him.

 

“Oh, definitely,” he replied. “I’ve been wanting to work here since I was a kid.”

 

The Masters stepped into the building, and everything stopped. Employees and guests alike stared and muttered to one another. Zane couldn’t care less about what they were saying, but a small part of him was eager to investigate.

 

“So,” Cole took a deep breath in, “this is Borg Towers.” Even with his mask on, Zane could tell Cole was unsettled. 

 

The elevator in the middle of the room dinged, drawing everyone’s attention. The doors slid open and out came a man in a wheelchair and a girl.  
Cyrus Borg wore a black turtleneck with a grey coat. His thin-framed glasses made the wrinkles around his eyes pop when he smiled. He approached the group happily, extending his arm to shake hands with the Masters. The girl stood behind, pushing his wheelchair.

 

“Masters!” he cheered. “Oh, it is so good to see you! It’s a pleasure, really.”

 

“Mr. Borg,” Lloyd greeted, shaking his hand. “We are honored to be invited.”

 

Borg shook hands with the final Master, Jay, who looked like he was about to burst from excitement.

 

“Masters,” Borg gestured to the girl who was pushing his wheelchair, “I would like you all to meet my assistant, Pixal.”

 

Pixal had a petite figure, but she looked quick-minded and strong. Her black hair was pulled all the way back into a short ponytail, with the exception of two strands on either side of her face. Freckles were splashed on her deep bronze skin. She wore a purple boatneck sweater with a red lining. Her pants were a darker shade of purple and wore red flats. Pixal looked fascinating, but the most mesmerizing thing about her were her eyes. They were bright lime green, so bright they seemed to glow. They didn’t make her look natural, but they made her look beautiful.

\  
Her eyes were hypnotic. Zane caught himself staring into them long enough to lose focus of the conversation.

 

“...strange name,” Skylor was saying.

 

“Ah, it’s actually a nickname,” Pixal smiled. “Most people can’t pronounce my actual name.”

 

“Pixal has been working for me since she graduated college,” Borg shared. “Right this way, Masters.” He led them into the elevator and pushed on the top button- Floor 72.

 

“College?” Nya repeated. “But you look so young.”

 

“I graduated from Jago University of Mathematics and Prime Science at fifteen,” Pixal shared. “I’ve been working full-time as Borg’s assistant for three years now.”

 

“She’s eighteen!” Zane heard Jay whisper to Cole. “Look how short she is.”

 

“You’re barely taller than her,” Cole whispered back. 

 

The elevator doors opened and led into a room full of half-done tech and glowing projections. Holograms of blueprints hovered above each mech.

 

“Here is where more of my personal inventions are made,” Borg told the Masters. “Pixal sometimes comes in here to experiment, too.”

 

“Many of these inventions look like they’re used for security,” Zane absorbed. 

 

Borg nodded. “I believe we should always guard one another, which is why I am very fond of your work, Masters.”

 

“But we only fought the Sons of Garmadon, like, once,” Nya pointed out. 

 

Pixal stopped Borg in front of a sliding door. Borg began to put in a password into the keypad.

 

“I have surveillance all over Baransu,” Borg explained. “I’ve seen the Sons of Garmadon before, but I wasn’t sure who they were or what to do about them. When I saw you seven on the news last week, I suddenly understood. The Sons of Garmadon are up to no good, and you are the only ones who can stop them. Now, when I saw your outfits, I couldn’t help but think you couldn’t get very far with primitive clothes.”

 

“Wow, thanks,” Kai muttered.

 

“So, of course, there’s no way for you to help Jago-” Borg finished putting in the password and the doors slid open, “-without proper gear.”

 

Inside, there were seven uniforms, one for each Master. Pixal and Borg led them in and let them get a closer look at their uniforms. Needless to say, the uniforms Borg had made were a lot nicer than the ones the Masters had on now. 

 

“Each outfit is designed so it will be able to match the body type of the wearer. It will always fit perfectly, regardless of how thin or thick one is,” Borg went on. “There is also padding on the inside to help prevent pain. The fabric is also designed to withstand any element, so, for example, the Fire Master could harness as many flames as he pleases, but the uniform will remain intact.

 

“In addition, there’s some pieces of armor on the outside, sheaths for your weapons, gripping-technology gloves, and masks to hide your identities.”

 

“These are fantastic,” Lloyd said, admiring his green uniform. “Thank you, Mr. Borg.”

 

“I couldn’t have done it without Pixal,” Borg smiled. “She is very good at designing.”

 

“I’ve always had an interest in designing armor, but combining it with modern technology,” Pixal said, shrugging it off like it was nothing. “I was happy to help.”

 

“Master of Water,” Borg addressed, “I’m sorry to say that there was no magenta fabric. I hope you don’t mind the gray color scheme.”

 

“It’s perfect!” Nya exclaimed. “You saved my life.”

 

“Um, excuse me, Mr. Borg,” Jay said in a small voice. “Would it be okay if we could try these on?”

 

Borg replied, “Of course! I have closets in the back for you to change. There are no cameras, so don’t worry about any of the security cameras seeing who you are.”  
The Masters all went into the closets behind the displays. Zane held up his outfit. It looked too small, but Zane put it on without any hesitation. When he had everything on except the mask, he looked in the mirror.

 

The uniform was all white but lined with black on the end of sleeves and across the chest. Along with the line across the chest, it was partnered with a thicker gray line and a small blue line. There was a small gray triangle pattern throughout the whole design. He sported a black belt and a gray tool belt where he could keep his throwing stars. Across the back was something where he could keep his bow and arrow. Putting on the mask, Zane saw that it covered everything except the eyes, much like the previous uniforms. It was plain white, although around the forehead it was black. In the center was a light blue emblem similar to a snowflake, although it only had three points.   
Zane never felt like he was anything else other than Zane. He was made Zane, and eventually, he would shut down as Zane. He would never be any different, and he would never see himself as any different. However, seeing himself in the full suit, mask and all… he felt special. He truly felt like a hero.

 

Zane walked out of the closet to find he was the first one finished. One by one, the Masters came out of their dressing rooms, amazed at their new outfits. They were all somewhat similar in patterns and armor placements. 

 

The only one that was extremely different from the others was Skylor’s uniform. 

 

“The colors,” Pixal said. “They suit you well.”

 

Zane nodded his head. “Thank you.”

 

“We could never thank you enough, Mr. Borg,” Nya said, ecstatic. “How can we repay you?”

 

“No need,” Borg insisted. “In fact, I still have one more gift for you all.”

 

“Another one?” Cole asked. “I think we’re good on all your fancy tech, Borg. No offense.”

 

“I don’t know, we should probably, uh, I don’t know, uh take it,” Jay said. “We could like. You know. Need it.” Pixal left the room for a few moments before returning with a large black box. She opened it, and inside were seven BorgWatches.

 

“BorgWatches?” Jay exclaimed. “These are the newest design! It costs more than my college tuition.”

 

“They have a private communication line only you seven can access,” Pixal told them. “That way, on missions, it will be easier to get in touch. They’re also connected to most of Jago’s surveillance and emergency triggers, so you’ll know right away if you’re needed.”

 

Zane put on his watch and admired the touchscreen. He swiped up and discovered that a hologram screen would appear in front of him that he could also interact with.

 

Zane recalled seeing blueprints and early designs for technology such as this. The doctor dreamed of changing the world with his inventions. Seeing everything Borg and Pixal had made was making Zane nostalgic. 

 

“Is everything to your liking?” Pixal asked. Zane looked at the girl and saw it was only them two. The rest of the Masters were talking to Borg.

 

“Yes,” Zane replied. “Everything here is truly fascinating. I would have loved to work here.”

 

“We have an opening in the robotics department,” Pixal offered. “Do you have any interest in that?”

 

“I guess you can say that.” Zane turned off the watch and focused all of his attention to Pixal. “Earlier, I recall you saying Pixal was a nickname. Tell me, what is your real name? I’m sure I can pronounce it.”

 

Pixal laughed. “The Master of Ice asks for my name when I don’t even know his face.”

 

“Fair enough,” he chuckled. He wanted to talk with Pixal more, but he was cut short when Lloyd spoke up.

 

“It’s getting late,” Lloyd said. “Thank you again, for everything Mr. Borg.”

 

“Anytime, Masters. It’s been an honor.” Borg smiled.

 

Pixal farewelled, “It was nice meeting you, Ice Master.”

 

“As with you,” Zane shook her hand and nodded his head as a form of thanks.

 

“Yo, Snowflake,” Kai shouted. “We gotta go.”

 

Zane looked at Pixal one last time. “Goodbye.” He met with Kai and the others at the elevator and made their way down. Once out of the building, they snuck back in an alleyway and changed into their civilian clothes. Zane started the car, and the Masters began their journey home.

 

Lloyd kept on studying the design of his uniform. Kai and Skylor watched as the stars appeared in the evening sky. Kai kept on giving fake constellation names to Skylor. Nya checked her watch every five seconds to see if there was any trouble for the Masters to deal with. Jay and Cole debated if their suits were dry clean or not. 

 

“Oh my Saisho,” Lloyd said suddenly. “Wu is going to kill us.”

 

“I welcome death with open arms,” Jay said, without missing a beat.

 

“Stop,” urged Cole.

 

Zane tried to connect to Jay. “I am dead.”

 

“ _What._ ” 

 

“Is that not how it is phrased on the internet?” 

 

Nya snorted. “Your ignorance is bliss.”

 

“I am not ignorant.”

 

“So what are we going to do when Wu kills us?” Skylor asked. “Die and turn into ghosts?”

 

“Can ghosts even fight?” Jay mumbled under his breath. 

 

Cole announced, “Ghosts aren’t real. When you die, you die. That’s that.”

 

“I… don’t like ghosts,” Lloyd confessed.

 

Kai cooed, “Lloyd’s scared of ghosts. Don’t worry, dude. We got your back.”

 

“Ghosts! Aren’t! Real!” Cole clapped.

 

“Not to be rude,” Zane interrupted, “but it is hard to concentrate on the road. If you could please lower your volume, it would be greatly appreciated.”

 

“Sorry, mom,” Jay joked. 

 

“No, but seriously,” Lloyd said, “Wu is going to be super mad at us for going.”

 

Nobody said anything in response. Zane guessed that nobody knew what to say. They all had conflicting views on Master Wu, and they varied by the moment.   
Finally, Zane said, “We will burn that bridge when we get to it.”

 

\--------

 

Master Wu did not physically kill all seven of them. He did, although, do a great deal of yelling. 

 

“Your identities could have been exposed!” he cried. “It could have been a trap. You should always seek your superior before doing anything.”

 

Zane cleared his throat. “With all due respect, Sensei, Cyrus Borg is a highly respected inventor that has no probable cause to betray us in any way.”

 

Wu ignored him. “Lloyd. What do you have to say on behalf of your team.”

 

“Master Wu,” Skylor urged, “don’t drag Lloyd into this. There’s still six of us left.”

 

“I’m sorry, Uncle,” Lloyd said shamefully. “It will never happen again.”

 

Wu looked at all of them with a stern look. “I would like for all of you to go to your rooms and be prepared for training tomorrow morning.”

 

Nya said sheepishly, “Can we at least keep the suits?” There was a moment of tense silence before Wu sighed.

 

“Fine.”

 

Nya left, satisfied, and was shortly followed by Kai, then Cole, and then Jay. Lloyd was the last one to leave before Zane.

 

“Sensei,” Zane addressed. “I must ask- why are you so vigilant with us? The Masters are all in their late teens. They’re nearly adults.”

 

Wu leaned on his cane like he was suddenly weakened by a memory. “You of all people should know. You always had a bright mind, Zane.” He looked solemnly at the Ice Master. “Rules are important. Failure to follow the rules can lead to… disastrous things. People become lost, hurt, sometimes both. I’m trying to teach you all to be responsible, not reckless.”

 

Zane could only assume he was referring to his brother. He didn’t want to get too into it with Wu, so he nodded, and called it a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for this week folks! By the way, if you're having trouble imagining what their outfits look like (because I'm terrible at explaining things oof), it's just their gi from s8 but Cole actually has sleeves


	28. XXVII-Kai-XXVII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (TW: blood)  
> It is Monday, my dudes. This chapter is kinda long so buckle down and enjoy the show!

This was all bullshit. Wu wasn’t his dad. Why should he control everything they do?

 

Kai sat up in his bed, twirling flames around his fingers like he always did when he was bored. He considered just doing the opposite of whatever Wu said from now on. Kai took out his phone and texted Skylor.

> **Kai:** Wu isn’t even good at teaching us 😒  
>  **Kai:** How many times have we flown dragons? Once  
>  **Kai:** How many times could we have FLOWN ON DRAGONS? A bunch of times  
>  **Skylor:** uh huh  
>  **Skylor:** just ignore the fact that Wu has taught us everything we know about fighting  
>  **Kai:** I knew how to fight  
>  **Skylor:** okay  
>  **Skylor:** where’d you get your haircut again?  
>  **Kai:** Damn okay.  
>  **Kai:** Anyways I’m gonna sneak out. Don’t snitch on me, kay?  
>  **Skylor:** HAHA  
>  **Skylor:** I’ll see you at your funeral  
>  **Kai:** Lol bye 🔥❤️ 

“I’m gonna fly my dragon,” Kai whispered to himself. He put on his leather jacket and snuck out of his room. It was dark, and most everyone was asleep. Kai was halfway down the hallway and had just made it past the bathrooms when the door swung open.

 

“Kai?” asked Lloyd behind him. 

 

Kai didn’t turn around. He froze up, not knowing what to do or what to respond with. Ultimately, he decided the best decision was to run and not look back.

“ _Kai!_ ” Lloyd whisper-shouted. Kai heard footsteps behind him. Perfect. He was being chased. At the front door, Lloyd stepped in front of Kai, blocking his only exit.

 

“Lloyd,” Kai greeted, “how funny how we ran into each other like this!”

 

“Where are you going?” Lloyd interrogated. He gasped. “Are you… quitting?”

 

“What? No. I’m not quitting.” Kai thought back to earlier that day when he found out they were missing a Master. Poor Lloyd was probably scared out of his mind. He already has enough pressure on him as it is. “I was just gonna go out, y’know. Look at a star or two, maybe fly a dragon, I dunno.”

 

“You’re sneaking out,” Lloyd said.

 

Kai pursed his lips and held his arms out. “You could phrase it that way, yeah.”

 

“Holy Saisho!” Lloyd wailed. “I don’t believe this! We’re already in enough trouble with Wu as it is.”

 

Kai sighed. “Honestly Lloyd, this is pathetic. You let your uncle control your life. There’s no harm in bending the rules every now and then!”

 

“The first time I broke a rule, Wu only forgave me because I was somehow able to find the star student, Zane. But I just know he’s going to hold this against me until I die. Probably even in my afterlife if he catches us out here and not in bed!”

 

“Then you go back to bed. I am going out and flying my radass dragon. Peace.” Kai moved Lloyd out of the way and left. He was already down the hill of the property when he saw something green run past him. Low and behold was Lloyd Garmadon, fully dressed and ready to go.

 

“Changed your mind?” Kai asked.

 

“I’m coming,” he said, somehow not out of breath, “but just to see what it’s like.”

 

“What being rebellious is like…?” 

 

Lloyd nodded like it was obvious.

 

“Alrighty then.”

 

\--------

 

Kai and Lloyd stood at the edge of the cliff where they first learned how to summon their dragons. It was harder to make out the terrain in the dark. Kai was glad we brought his jacket because it was actually kind of chilly out.

 

“Ready?” Lloyd asked. “Let’s do this.”

 

Kai held up a finger. “Rule number one of being independent- don’t let anyone tell you what to do.”

 

“Okay. Noted.”

 

“You just broke rule number one,” Kai gasped. Lloyd stared at the Fire Master to make it clear he was annoyed. 

 

“Anyway,” he changed the subject, “I’m going to summon my dragon now.” Lloyd did just that, flying a few feet away from the edge of the cliff on his giant green dragon. Specks of glowing green and the occasional red and purple patterned the creature. “Your turn.”

 

Kai clapped his hands and rubbed them together before leaping off the cliff. A light red glow surrounded him as he found himself on top of his dragon. The flapping of its wings blew cool air onto Kai’s face. Also, he was flying a dragon. Life was good.

 

“Where to?” Kai asked Lloyd.

 

“Huh?”

 

“You thought I was just going to summon this bad boy only to go back on the ground? I wanna take it out for a spin, dumbo.”

 

“But what if we get caught,” Lloyd pointed out. “We’re not wearing our masks.”

 

“C’mon!” Kai urged. “I’ll race you to the jungle by the Jade Palace.”

 

“That’s all the way to Baransu. It’s too far and too risky. Let’s just go back home.”

 

Kai stared at the small boy, unimpressed. After what seemed like long enough, he shrugged, held onto the reins of his dragon and said, “See ya.” He zoomed off without another word. 

 

“Kai-” Lloyd called out. “Wait!” 

 

Lloyd caught up to Kai in seconds. They were both moving fast- already halfway there. Kai could feel his breathing getting heavier and his bones start to ache. It was as if it was his energy the dragon was using to fly. 

 

“What are you doing?” Lloyd demanded.

 

“Having fun!” Kai said with a grin. “You should try it sometime.” He started trying out tricks with his dragon. Double barrel roll, drop and catch, anything he could think of. At one point, Kai yelled out in excitement and the dragon started breathing fire. He tried that out for a few minutes like he got a new toy. Kai saw the jungle and dipped down. He landed in the edges of the forest where it’s publicly acceptable to go during the day. Lloyd landed right next to him.

 

“Do you think anyone noticed us?” Lloyd asked, visibly worried. He summoned his dragon away and landed on the ground on his feet.

 

“Let’s hope not,” said Kai, doing the same.

 

Lloyd looked around. “My uncle once told me jungles and forests were popular places of worship back then. There are probably tons of abandoned shrines and temples throughout here. If you feel like exploring, we should use the sidewalk so we don’t get lost.”

 

“Or,” Kai suggested, “we go on the sketchy looking path made of leaves and sticks.” He pointed at the said path, leading into the deep dark wilderness.

 

“Seriously? It’s probably been made by animals. Are you sure you want to waste your time?”

 

“We’re already here, aren’t we?”

 

\--------

 

Kai and Lloyd walked on the dirt path. It was uneven and messy, and every now and then Kai had to summon some light to make sure they were still on the path. While going through and making their shoes filthy, the two boys engaged in small talk.

 

“...and that’s why I’m afraid of ghosts,” Lloyd was explaining.

 

“One small spook and now you’re scarred for life,” Kai sighed. “And you have to save the world.”

 

“So do you!” Lloyd fought back.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t have my parents or uncle constantly on my case.”

 

Lloyd kicked a rock. “Where are your parents anyway?”

 

“Every summer they leave to go on vacation,” Kai told. “For the first few years, Nya and I had a babysitter, but as we got older, they left us by ourselves.”

 

“Don’t they check up on you?”

 

“They go to one of those islands that think Masters are a myth, so it’s hard to contact Jago from there. So, they don’t. They only call me and Nya on our birthday but that’s about it.” Lloyd fell silent for a bit.

 

“I never really celebrated my birthday,” he said quietly.

 

Kai nearly tripped. “ _WHAT?_ Nya and I always snag some money and treat ourselves, but you don’t do anything?” Lloyd shook his head. “Lloyd, tell me your birthday and I swear on Saisho we will celebr-”

 

“Quiet,” Lloyd hushed. He held his finger in front of Kai’s mouth.

 

“What?”

 

“I hear something.”

 

Kai listened and realized that somewhere close by there were people talking. It was hard to make out what it was, but it sounded like whatever was going on was important.

 

“It’s a group of stupid teenagers partying,” Kai guessed. “Let’s just leave them be.”

 

“What if it’s not,” Lloyd said. He stared in the direction in which the noise was coming from and began to walk towards it. Kai reluctantly followed. He looked down and saw they were still walking on the leaf stick path.

 

_Marvelous._

 

Lloyd suddenly stopped and raised his hand. Kai assumed that meant he had to stop, too. The conversation became clearer, and Kai got a glimpse on who was talking. There were many people wearing biker gang outfits, a couple of which Kai recognized from the warehouse. The bikers gathered around a fire with countless beer bottles. They just stumbled upon a meeting with the Sons of Garmadon.

 

However, that wasn’t Kai’s main concern. His main concern was the four people standing in front of them, like the leaders. One of them wore all black from head to toe with red gloves. His black biker helmet blocked his face, but you could see glowing red eyes from within. 

 

The one standing next to them was a huge dude- like, a _really_ huge dude. He had to be at least eight feet tall. Kai wondered if he could fit through a doorway. He wore nothing but baggy pants and a black vest, exposing tattoos on his chest and arm. He had white face paint and a black biker helmet. Compared to the rest of his body, his head seemed pretty small.

 

Next to him was a girl with tan skin and white face paint. Symbols were drawn on and she had battle scars everywhere. Her black hair was shaved, leaving only a ponytail. She wore mostly purple, but still fitting in with the biker-type style with the rest of the gang. Kai looked at her belt. 

 

Knives. A lot of knives.

 

The fourth one concerned Kai the most. They sat in the shadows, almost unseen. They didn’t look human and they sure as hell didn’t look friendly. Their body looked as though it were made out of stone armor, covering everything. The small cracks in the armor glowed purple. Their face looked like a violet demon with swirly yellow eyes. Black horns stuck out of the forehead. 

 

Kai looked over at Lloyd to see how he was processing this. Lloyd had gotten out his BorgWatch and was recording the Sons of Garmadon. Kai said nothing, but he knew this was a bad idea.

 

“Brothers and Sisters,” the girl in purple announced, “our spirits can’t be let down because of the arrival of the Masters. This just gives us an opportunity to show the people what we can do.” She took out one of the various knives from her belt like she was suggesting something. Kai prayed it was cooking. _Please_ let it be cooking.

 

“WE WILL CRUSH THEIR HEADS,” boomed the big guy. “If the Masters don’t perish under Lord Garmadon, then they will perish under the Quiet One. That is a promise.” The bikers cheered. Great.

 

“Let the Masters come to us,” Knife Girl said. “Let them see what it’s like when they challenge the children of Garmadon.” More cheering. Kai’s stomach dropped. He tapped Lloyd on the shoulder.

 

“Let’s leave,” he whispered very very quietly. “ _Now._ ” Lloyd nodded, stopped recording, and tip-toed away with Kai. The two didn’t dare make a sound until they were 100% sure they were far away enough from the Sons of Garmadon. They started walking normally on the path.

 

“We need to tell the team,” Lloyd said. “Tomorrow morning, as soon as everybody is up.”

 

“I say we don’t do that,” Kai protested. “It wouldn’t sit well with the others, especially Jay.”

 

“But we _have_ to-”

 

“Why do we have to tell them?” Kai snapped. “You obviously don’t have a problem with not telling the team things.”

 

Lloyd hesitated. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Yes, you do.”

 

Lloyd’s eyes trailed away from Kai’s gaze. “Who told you?”

 

“I heard it from Nya when she was being told by Jay,” Kai explained. “He kept on freaking out about missing a ‘whole Master.’”

 

“Jay? But who could’ve told-”

 

“Cole,” they both realized in unison.

 

Lloyd sighed. “We’ll deal with that later. For now, let’s just get out of here.”

 

“Later?” Kai questioned. 

 

“Kai, I’m sorry, okay? I didn’t want to cause panic, but I’m sure by now everyone knows. I should have told the team as soon as I found out.”

 

Kai patted Lloyd on the back. “We’ll find this eighth Master. I promise.”

 

Lloyd opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted when they heard someone approaching. Lloyd slipped and fell into the bushes and vanished.

 

“Lloyd?” Kai whisper-shouted. “Lloyd! Damn it, why does green camouflage so well?”  
“ _You!_ ” the newcomer screamed. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?” Kai stood up and turned to see it was the purple knife girl. It took all of his will power to not scream.

 

“Just out for a walk,” he lied. “I dropped my phone somewhere around here.” Kai was usually a bad liar, but he always believed the darker it was, the harder it was to tell. Knife Girl laughed. It wasn’t a normal laugh. It was a maniacal, scary laugh. Kai awkwardly laughed along. She stopped abruptly and took out a blade. 

 

Pointing it at Kai, she said, “Handsome little boys like you shouldn’t be out in the dark like this. Especially when they’re alone.”

 

Kai took a step back. “Wh- I- uhm.”

 

“Here’s the deal,” she said, still smiling eerily. “You go home, okay? You saw nothing.”

 

Kai nodded. “Okay. Yes. Definitely.” 

 

“No witnesses.” She plunged her knife at Kai’s chest. Luckily, Kai was able to dodge it and get a hold of her wrist. He twisted it and kicked her down.

 

“So you fight,” she laughed. She tugged away from Kai’s grip. “I’ll let you live.”

 

Kai kept a safe distance from her, ready to attack again at any given moment. “Thanks.”

 

“Remember- never be blindsided by one’s appearance,” she warned.

 

“I… what?” 

 

Without warning, she attacked again, this time succeeding in cutting him. He felt a burning pain on the right side of his face. He collapsed, and his vision blurred as he saw the girl run off, chuckling like she was a little kid with candy. 

 

Kai brought his hand to his face and looked down. He was bleeding. It was all over his hands and it was spilling to the floor. It was everywhere. Lloyd got up from the bushes.

 

“ _Kai!_ ” he cried out. “Oh Saisho, Kai, are you okay?”

 

He was able to mumble, “That bitch cut my eye.”

 

And then he passed out.

 

\--------

 

Everyone’s going to be so pissed at me, Kai thought to himself. 

 

He was beginning to wake up. His muscles ached and his face felt stiff and sore. He heard people talking and yelling- mostly from Nya. He squinted as he saw he was face to face with a bright lamp.

 

He began to sit up but was gently put back down by Zane.

 

“Do not move,” he said. “I still need to bandage your cut.”

 

He was in the monastery. He was in someone’s bedroom, and by the looks of the extreme tidiness and white sheets, he knew he was in Zane’s. Skylor and Cole were arguing with each other. Nya was analyzing video footage that Kai remembers Lloyd recording. Jay was checking Kai’s temperature. Lloyd and Master Wu were nowhere to be seen.

 

“Jay, I already told you,” Zane lectured, “it is unnecessary to check Kai’s body temperature. He has been attacked by somebody with a knife, not my germs.”

 

Jay looked down. “I’m just trying to be helpful.”

 

“Kai and Lloyd were able to get important information,” Skylor was saying. “There were sacrifices made, but now we actually know what we’re up against.”

 

“Kai was _hurt_ ,” Cole argued back. “He could have died if Lloyd didn’t bring him back. Do you know how many people have died in that jungle? We need to be focusing on that- we have all summer to deal with the Sons of Garmadon.”

 

Zane finished up on Kai’s face and told him he could sit up now. Kai turned to the Lightning Master.

 

“Am I still pretty?” he asked.

 

“Badass,” Jay replied. 

 

“You’re up,” Nya said without looking up. 

 

“I’ve been worried sick about you too, sis,” he said sarcastically.

 

Jay spoke up, “She was actually pretty upset when you guys got back. She cried for a bit. I think she’s just emotionally drained.”

 

“And tired,” she yawned. “Lloyd burst into the monastery at 3 a.m. I’ve been up since.”

 

“Perhaps staring at that screen for nearly seven hours straight isn’t a wise decision,” Zane suggested. “I will go make scrambled eggs.” The Ice Master stood up and left the room.

 

“Where’s Lloyd?” Kai asked.

 

“Getting yelled at by Master Wu,” Cole replied. He and Skylor had stopped quarreling. They were now just giving each other the side eye.

 

“Wu was livid,” Skylor elaborated. “No doubt he’s going to scream at you too.”

 

“Fantastic,” Kai sighed.

 

Jay cleared his throat. “No offense, but why is your eye all twitchy? Are you going blind?”

 

Kai didn’t even realize his eye until Jay pointed it out. He tried keeping his right eye opened and saw that his vision was wacky.

 

“My contact lens probably fell out when that girl cut me,” Kai guessed. “No biggie.”

 

“You wear glasses,” Cole expressed. 

 

“No, I wear contacts,” Kai corrected. 

 

“We can make fun of Kai’s shitty eyesight later,” Nya said. “Who are these people? And why were they meeting in that exact place?”

 

“People call it ‘The Jungle of Worship’,” Skylor explained. “It’s so vast and crowded with trees, some say it’s impossible to explore. It would be a good place to hide.”

 

“But what are they doing so close to the castle?” Cole wondered aloud, almost sounding angry with confusion. “Obviously they aren’t hidden well enough. Kai was able to find them, of all people.”

 

Jay laughed, “Hah. Roasted.”

 

Kai snapped, “I saw you struggling to pronounce ‘paralysis’ the other day, dumbass.”

 

“Wow okay.”

 

Zane walked into the room with plates of scrambled eggs. He gave each one to a Master in the room.

 

“Are we analyzing the footage?” Zane asked, sitting next to Nya.

 

“Something like that,” Nya mumbled. “Zane, what can you tell us about The Jungle of Worship?”

 

“The jungle takes up nearly a third of Jago’s wildlife. It is the largest natural area on the island. It is home to the Primeval Eye, a deadly swamp river area that many have perished in trying to explore the area. It is possible there are still parts of the forest undiscovered. Legends say there are millions of temples. The forest eventually meets up with the beach. In fact, in 1926, there was a plane crash-”

 

“We don’t need the whole Brickipedia page,” Jay interrupted. “We’re just trying to figure out why the Sons would meet there- and in a section so close to the palace.”

 

“Perhaps they’re planning an ambush. Or somebody from the Jade Palace is working with the Sons of Garmadon.”

 

“The royal family leading a cult?” Cole joked. “That wouldn’t surprise me.”

 

“But which one is their leader?” Skylor questioned. “Those four standing look like they’re in charge, but I’m not sure.”

 

“They mention somebody called, ‘The Quiet One’,” Nya said. “It’s not the one that cut Kai’s eye, and it’s not the big guy. They both mention The Quiet One as a separate being.”

 

“Maybe it’s one of those two?” Kai speculated. “They don’t say a word the whole time.”

 

“I bet on the guy with the mask,” Jay exclaimed. “Bad guys almost always wear demon masks in ani-”

 

“I swear to Saisho if you say anime I will burn you to a crisp.”

 

Zane interjected, “I believe it is the one in all black.”

 

“What makes you say that?”

 

“A feeling.”

 

Kai found it odd for Zane to support a response with just a "feeling". Zane was a scholarly dude, so it seemed a bit out of place. It is what it is, he supposed.

 

There was a knock on the door. Before anyone could say “Come in!” or “Who is it?” the door swung open and Wu walked in. Behind him was Lloyd, who, surprisingly enough, didn’t look emotionally shamed. In fact, he looked determined. Kai was impressed. 

 

“Master Wu,” Kai greeted. “What’s gonna be my punishment?”

 

“Why should you be punished?” Wu asked. “You retrieved helpful information. Besides, I shouldn’t punish you further. You already lost an eye.”

 

Kai blinked. Wu wasn’t mad? How? Why? What did Lloyd to the old man?

 

“But Master Wu,” Cole argued, “it was dangerous-”

 

“As will many of your missions be.”

 

Skylor said hesitantly, “Sensei Wu… are you okay?”

 

“Right as rain,” Wu smiled. “I’ll see all of you in the training room. Kai, you may rest for the day until you recover.” With that, the Sensei left the room, leaving everyone confused for the most part.

 

“Is that like, a clone or something?” Jay asked the team. “Is Master Wu dead? Are _we_ dead?”

 

Lloyd laughed. “He was fuming at first, but I was able to talk some sense into him. It took a while, but-” he looked at the door “-it was worth it.”

 

“You stood up for yourself,” Nya said. 

 

“For us,” Lloyd replied. “We’re a team.”

 

Kai chimed in, “And teams are supposed to be doing things together, like, uh, train? Chop, chop guys, Master Wu isn’t gonna wait all day.” He clapped his hands and the Masters groaned as they headed out. The last one to leave was Skylor. She was grabbing the empty plates and stopped in the doorway to look at Kai.

 

“I feel guilty,” she confessed. “I could have told the team and you wouldn’t have had to get hurt. I feel like it’s my fault your eye is…”

 

“Hey,” Kai comforted, “don’t say that. Everything turned out fine. Besides, I’m not blind or anything. I just look cooler now.” He winked.

 

Skylor snickered, “Badass.” She paused for a moment.

 

“You look like you want to tell me something.”

 

She nodded. “Yeah. I just wanted to say… get well soon, ‘kay?”

 

He smiled fondly. “I will. Kick Jay’s ass for me?”

 

"Will do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unrelated to Baransu but have you guys seen the episodes for s10 yet? It's really cool so far and I'm really hyped to see the rest of it. aNyWhOm
> 
> Next week's chapter is going to be hellllllla long so keep an eye out for that ;D. Cya!


	29. XXVIII-Cole-XXVIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmonday

It’s been three weeks since the jungle incident, and Cole was dangling from a roof, about to slip at any given moment. It was windy, and he was really high up. At least the view was nice.

 

“Are you sure you don’t want us to save you?” Jay asked over the intercom.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” Cole told them. “You guys just focus on catching the perp.”

 

The remaining six Masters focused on their epic rooftop chase. Cole had tried to look cool doing a sliding motion, but that ended up with him being where he is now. Pedestrians stopped to take pictures of him, but that was just annoying. They could’ve been helping, but it is what it is.

 

“Earth Master!” one of them called out. “You’re my daughter’s favorite!”

 

“Oh, awesome,” Cole said weakly, trying not to die. “Tell her I said hi.” Granted, the building he was on was only three stories, but he would probably break a few bones, and he did not want a run in with the paramedics.

 

“Where are those stupid Borg-patrolling bots when you need them?” he mumbled under his breath. Cole tried lifting himself up, but his hand slipped. Dangling with only a few fingers, Cole prayed somebody would save him. Maybe he should’ve asked for Jay.

 

His grip got looser and his panic rose higher. If his life had a musical track, suspenseful violins would be playing full volume. He closed his eyes as he was only being held together by his pinkie. That would barely last him a minute.

 

His hand was off- but he wasn’t falling. Someone grabbed him by the wrist. He opened his eyes and saw Lloyd, out of breath and exhausted.

 

“Greenbean!” Cole exclaimed. Lloyd hoisted him up and the two boys stood on the roof. “Thanks, bud.”

 

“Could you stop calling me that?” he begged.

 

“Everything else sounds choppy,” Cole shrugged. “Or I could just call you by your real name.”

 

“No, no, it’s fine. Rocky.”

 

Cole ignored what he assumed was an attempted insult. “Did you guys catch him?”

 

A voice from above announced, “Indeed we did!” It was Kai, flying overhead on dragons with the others. On Zane’s dragon beside him was the vengestone thief, handcuffed.

 

“Ice, drop him off at the police station,” Nya ordered. “We’ll all meet you back at HQ afterward.” Zane nodded and went on his way. Lloyd and Cole summoned their own dragons and flew with the rest of the team.

 

HQ was just the monastery. The Masters would drop themselves off within the borders of the town, change into civilian clothes, and walk the rest of the way back. Sometimes, when they were impatient they would risk dropping themselves off closer.

 

Cole threw himself onto the couch as soon as they got into the living room. “How many people are mocking me?” Jay checked his phone.

 

“Nobody,” Jay lied. “Nobody at all.”

 

“You’re memeing,” Skylor said. “Don’t worry. Hisser will forget about it by the weekend and you’ll be replaced by some other celebrity flop.”

 

“I don’t know much about these memes,” Master Wu said, making an appearance, “but I do know that seven of my students just came back from another successful mission. Well done.”

 

Lloyd bowed his head. “Thank you, Master Wu.” 

 

“I can still feel the adrenaline pumping through my veins,” Nya babbled. “I could take on The Quiet One if I wanted to!”

 

“However,” rebutted Zane, “we do not know who the Quiet One is, or what they are capable of.”

 

“Right. I keep on forgetting about that part.”

 

“Damn it, Zane!” Jay whined. “Why did you have to ruin the mood?”

 

“I’m sorry?” Zane stuttered.

 

The Lightning Master made his way to the couch and sat down on the floor since Cole took up all of the cushions lying down.

 

“Sorry about not getting you off the roof,” Jay apologized. 

 

“It’s not your fault,” Cole said from in the couch cushions. “Why don’t you go with Nya? I think Kai is annoying her to death.” He stood up.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“My room,” he answered, scratching his neck. “I’ll be back by dinner.” Jay raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Cole walked to his bedroom and closed the door. 

 

He sat down on his bed and took out his phone. He liked to play the guitar when he was stressed, but he left his summer camp in such haste he accidentally left it there. He wondered if anybody noticed he was gone. The best he could do was open an app on his phone that mimics an instrument. He poked around at the chords for a bit, hoping it would have the same effect. It didn’t. However, it did keep him occupied. Cole didn’t notice how much time had passed or when someone opened his door until they were standing right in front of him. Cole nearly jumped.

 

“Zane!?” he shrieked. “What are you doing in my room?”

 

“I tried knocking on the door, but there was no answer. I was curious as to who was playing the guitar.”

 

Cole sighed, “It’s just an app on my phone. Is dinner ready yet?”

 

“Almost. The lasagna still has ten minutes left before it’s done baking.”

 

“I still don’t get why you guys don’t let me in the kitchen anymore.”

 

“You nearly burnt down the monastery.”

 

“No need to brag, Mr. Perfect,” Cole scoffed.

 

“I am far from perfect, I can assure you,” Zane said with a smile on his face. “I have my insecurities and mistakes.”

 

“What about fears?”

 

“Fears?”

 

“Yeah,” Cole shrugged. “FYou say you got flaws, but I haven't seen you be scared of anything.”

 

Zane thought about it for a moment. “I suppose I fear rejectment, and I am not too fond of snakes.” Cole pictured a ten-year-old Zane seeing a snake at the zoo and being terrified out of his mind. Learning about the Serpentine Wars must have been a fun time.

 

“I’ve been meaning to ask you-” Zane said, sitting down, “-how are you doing? Has your dignity been affected at all by today’s events?”

 

“You mean dangling from a building?” Cole scoffed. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I just kinda wish somebody was there earlier. Not even the stupid droids came to help me.”

 

Zane wandered his gaze to the ground, looking shameful. “Is there any reason you seem to dislike the…”

 

“The robots,” Cole finished. “I hate them. We’re told that they’re here to protect the city and the citizens but they prioritize the rich above all else. Have you ever noticed that the patrol droids are nowhere to be found in the dirtier parts of the city, but as soon as you’re close to Borg Tower or the Jade Palace, they’re everywhere?” Zane didn’t respond. “They’re programmed by the rich to protect the rich. They don’t care if you’re not important.”

 

“I’m sure that’s not entirely true,” Zane seemed to stumble through his words.

 

“Why wouldn’t it be? They’re soulless heaps of metal.”

 

Zane tensed up. “Cole, there is something I have to tell you.”

 

“What?”

 

The Ice Master hesitated. Then there was a beep heard from the kitchen.

 

Zane stood up and left saying, “Dinner is ready.” Cole was alone again. He wondered if he said something to hurt Zane’s feelings. He couldn’t think of anything that could possibly affect him, though. Cole then went to the kitchen.

 

\--------

 

“I’m going to cut Kai’s throat,” Nya grumbled. Everyone’s plate was nearly empty and she was going through her Hisser feed.

 

“Why’s that?” Cole said, sitting next to her. He was talking through a mouthful of his third serving.

 

“Apparently he thought it would be a good idea to make a Hisser account for the Master of Fire,” she explained through gritted teeth.

 

“What about me?” Kai asked from the other side of the table.

 

Jay chimed in, “Dude, you have a Hisser? How many followers do you have?”

 

“Last time I checked, like 8,000. I’m already verified,” Kai bragged.

 

Cole wasn’t big on social media. He mostly used it to keep up with current events but he hardly posted. Having an entirely new account for his Master persona seemed stupid.

 

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Skylor suggested. “You might slip up and people will know who you are.”

 

Wu announced, “I am not entirely sure on how Hisser works, but I believe Skylor is right. Besides, you already have enough publicity without it.”

 

“What’s Hisser?” Lloyd asked in a small voice.

 

Cole looked over at Zane. He would have said something by now. Instead, he was playing with his watch. Cole suddenly felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

> **Skylor:** is Zane ok?  
>  **Cole:** i don’t know  
>  **Cole:** i don’t think I ever saw him eat 🤨   
> **Skylor:** weird  
>  **Skylor:** he once told me he doesn’t sleep. I’m concerned for this dude  
>  **Cole:** 🤨🤨🤨   
> **Skylor:** I feel like we should stage an intervention  
>  **Cole:** probably 

“I wanna follow you,” Jay exclaimed. “What’s your username?”

 

“@Hot_Hands,” Kai told him.

 

Wu mumbled, “How did you say that?”

 

Cole opened his mouth to ask Zane if they could talk for a moment, but all of the Masters’ watches went off. 

 

“Quick, toss me my mask!” Lloyd ordered. He ran to the corner of the room. Jay was the first one to bolt to Lloyd’s room, grab his mask, and toss it to him. Jay might have been clumsy at times, but Cole admired his agility. 

 

As soon as Lloyd had his mask in hand, he put it on and answered the call. Cole peeked to see who it was and saw Pixal.

 

“Pix,” Lloyd greeted. “What’s wrong?”

 

“I’m sorry to disturb you this late in the evening,” she said, “but we have an emergency. Borg frequently uses a scanner to detect any unknown devices in the city, and we discovered an explosive device.”

 

“A bomb,” Skylor said gravely. Pixal nodded.

 

“We can diffuse it,” Lloyd promised. “Where is it?”

 

“Directly under the Jade Palace,” Pixal explained, breath shaky. “We’ve already alerted the royal family and they are currently undergoing evacuation. Borg is currently notifying them that you will be on your way. You have to hurry. We don’t know how much longer until it goes off.”

 

“Pixal,” Borg called out, somewhere off-camera. “The princess insists law enforcement can handle it. Should we still send the Masters?”

 

Kai urged, “We’re going no matter what the princess says. Do you really think we’re going to do nothing?”

 

“We’ll arrive in less than fifteen minutes,” Zane said, surprising everyone. “Keep us in check and alert us if anything new pops up that we should know.”

 

Pixal smiled at the sound of Zane’s voice. “Of course. Good luck.” The chat ended and the Masters ran to their rooms to get dressed as quickly as possible. As soon as everyone was done, they wasted no time and flew straight to the Jade Palace.

 

\--------

 

“Do you think we’ll get a chance to see the royal family?” Jay asked Cole, flying right next to him. The view of the palace was getting closer and closer.

 

“Probably not,” replied Cole. “We need to head straight underground as soon as we get there. The Royals are probably already far from there.”

 

“Zane,” Nya said, “you’re a smart guy. Why does the Jade Palace have a whole underground section? And why wasn’t it guarded?”

 

“The under-section of the castle was used for prisoners many years ago,” Zane explained. “Mostly interrogations, but it also connected to some sections of the palace itself. It was shut down when prisons and jails became more common. Another reason was that many of the city’s sewer system connected to the underground and it became unfit to be there because of moss and increasing odor.”

 

“Moss?” Jay cried out. “Don’t tell me I have to touch moss.” He shuddered.

 

“Suck it up,” Kai yelled. “So you see a little plant growing. No biggie.”

 

Zane informed, “Actually, some moss can be extremely dangerous-”

 

“Can it, Snowy.”

 

The Masters landed by the stairs leading up to the Jade Palace. Law enforcement swarmed the perimeters. The yellow caution tape clashed with the green aesthetic of the palace. Cole saw people fleeing from their nearby homes- no, mansions. Patrol droids directed traffic and kept pedestrians from coming near.

 

“Well, well, well,” the commissioner addressed the Masters. “If it isn’t the Masters of Baransu! You came here to diffuse the bomb for us?”

 

“It doesn’t really look like your men will be doing it anytime soon,” Skylor remarked. “So yes.”

 

Pixal spoke from the comms, “The quickest way to the lower level is to find the cave in the garden. From there, you should see steps heading downward. Head towards the center and the device will be there.”

 

“Thanks,” Lloyd replied. “Alright team, we’re going in. Everyone ready?”

 

Jay sighed, “I can’t say no.” 

 

Luckily, the garden was right in the courtyard above the steps. Nya was able to find the man-made cave on the side of the wall surrounding the palace. The stairs were narrow and Cole found himself nearly slipping multiple times. His hammer was slung against his back and he was pretty sure he accidentally created permanent cracks with it. When they all reached the bottom of the stairs, Cole expected to see their target right then and there so they could just deal with it and go home. He wasn’t expecting to see a giant man with fists bigger than his own head. Guess which one was there!

 

Cole recognized the Big Guy from the footage Lloyd brought back weeks ago. He really underestimated how big he was. Cole was the tallest out of all the Masters, and he felt like a _peanut_ next to this dude. Jay probably wasn’t having a great time, considering he was the shortest.

 

“The Quiet One told us you might come here,” he laughed, approaching the Masters.

 

“Go,” Lloyd whispered to the Masters. Then louder, “ _GO GO GO GO GO!_ ” They all leaped out of the way as Big Guy slammed his fist where they were standing. Bits of rock flew up. 

 

“Holy shit!” Cole yelped. “He broke the ground!”

 

“Hey, buddy!” Nya called out. She twirled her spear in his direction and used the moisture in the air to summon water around her. She aimed, fired, and managed to blast Big Guy off his feet. As he struggled to get up, Kai kicked him in the head and surrounded him in fire. Big Guy just grumbled and walked right through, probably giving himself third-degree burns. He grabbed Nya by the waist.

 

“I’ve had to deal with a Master twerp like you before,” he grumbled. “And I’ll _DO IT AGAIN!_ ” He threw Nya across the room and she crashed against the wall.

 

“N-Gray!” Kai screamed, running to her side.

 

Big Guy turned around, ready to face the rest of the Masters. Before he could take a step, however, an arrow was shot into his arm and he howled in pain. He knelt down, and Skylor took it as an opportunity to deck him in the nose. Lloyd came up from behind with his katana and hit it against Big Guy’s helmet. Zane tried freezing his wrist. Cole tried to strangle his neck, which was difficult considering that his neck was as thick as Cole's arm. Jay wrapped his nunchucks around one of his fingers and tried electrocuting him. Big Guy yelled out and threw himself back, causing the Masters to fall off of him. 

 

“That’s enough!” he screamed. He threw his frozen fist to the ground and broke the ice. He clutched Cole’s neck and lifted him up. Cole struggled to breathe. His air was being squeezed out of him. Big Guy could probably squeeze his head off right now if he wanted to. Cole’s face was turning blue and his vision became blurry.

 

Cole coughed out, struggling to say each word as he was being strangled. “Wh- _cough-_ who are y...you?”

 

“Call me,” he growled with a menacing smile on his face, tightening his grip, “ _Killow._ ” 

 

_This is how I die,_ Cole thought to himself. I’m going to die and I won’t have anything to show for it. He saw a bright light. Was this his first step on his passage to death? What would the afterlife be like? Would anyone miss him?

 

He dropped to the ground, air filling up his lungs. He wheezed and he coughed, but he was breathing, and he was alive. Killow was lying face down in front of him, petrified or passed out. Bits of lightning sparked from him. Cole realized the light he saw wasn’t death. It was lightning. It was Jay. Cole met eyes with him.

 

“You... saved my life,” he gasped in awe. “Jay, I…” Jay just stood there, bug-eyed, looking at Killow looking as shocked as the other Masters.

 

“OH MY GOD,” Jay cried. “I THINK I KILLED HIM.” 

 

Zane rolled Killow over on his back (which took a lot of work) and examined his pulse. “No worries. He is still alive. Although, I should keep him in place so he can be turned into the correct authorities.” He froze the giant into place and went about his business. Cole noticed his vest was moved from his chest, exposing a nasty scar.

 

“Yeesh,” Kai winced, helping Nya back on her feet. “Where did he get that from?”

 

“It looks like a knife wound,” Zane guessed. “It appears as though it happened years ago, though, so it’s hard to tell.”

 

“Are you guys alright?” Lloyd asked Nya and Cole. They both nodded. “Alright. Take it easy you guys. We’re almost there.” The Masters kept walking.

 

“Perhaps you should sit the rest of the mission out,” Zane suggested to Cole. “Oxygen levels are low down here, and you were just suffering from a _lack of_ oxygen.”

 

“I’ll be fine,” assured Cole. “I can handle it. I learned plenty of breathing exercises at Marty Oppenheimer.”

 

“I am just trying to look out for you.”

 

“I know. Thanks, Z. You’re a good friend.”

 

Zane nearly stopped in his tracks. “Friend?” he repeated.

 

“Yeah. We’re not just coworkers. You’re like a brother. We look out for each other.” Even with their masks on, Cole could tell Zane was smiling.

 

They encountered a random SoG biker, but Nya and Lloyd were easily able to take them out. A hit here, a swing there, a hit or miss, and they were out cold. Finally, they got to the center. On the roof of the cave, there was a giant boulder connected to it. Strapped to said boulder was a giant metallic box that beeped as the seconds ticked by.

 

“That’s it,” Skylor pointed it out. “How are we going to get to it?”

 

“We could use our dragons to fly up,” Lloyd thought out loud, “but the space is too small. Does anyone here happen to know how to levitate?”

 

“I could build a stairway leading to the bomb using water,” Nya volunteered. “Zane could then freeze it and defuse the bomb.” 

 

Kai shook his head. “You can’t do that. You’re still hurt.”

 

“Nothing a trip to the chiropractor can’t fix. Zane, you in?”

 

Zane nodded. “I assume I am the only one that knows how to defuse a bomb?” The Masters mumbled incoherently but it all basically translated to “yes”. Nya stepped forward and guided the water to lead up to the device. She looked at Zane, signaling that it was his turn. He happily complied and froze the stairway over.

 

“Wow,” Jay admired. “I wish I was that smart.”

 

Cole stared at him in disbelief. “You built a pair of wings and managed to take off when we first met.”

 

“It was unsuccessful though.”

 

Their watches beeped again. Skylor was the first one to answer. 

 

“Pixal,” she greeted. “We just got to the bomb. Is everything alright?”

 

“That’s good news,” Pixal said. “I managed to get a connection to the device to see if I could deactivate it from here. It turns out it has to be shut off manually. Also, according to this, the bomb will go off in exactly one minute and forty-three seconds.” Everyone jumped and Zane went right to work. Cole tried to see if he could do anything to help, but there wasn’t. He could only panic.

 

“Copy,” Skylor said in a shaky voice. “Z- Ice is on it right now.”

 

“I can send more people over to see what they can do,” Pixal suggested, frantically typing on her laptop. “I could try sending something new over. It’s not quite finished, and it needs a couple of touch-ups, but I think it will-”

 

“It won’t get here on time,” Lloyd said. “We can do this. We’ll contact you when we’re done.” Skylor hung up the voice chat. 

 

“How are you doing up there, buddy?” Jay asked in a squeaky voice. “That sure looks like a big bomb.” Cole put a hand on Jay’s shoulder to help him calm down. Nya had the same idea, so now Jay had a hand on each shoulder.

 

“I’m almost done,” Zane grunted. “I just need to- there!”

 

“You got it?” Nya called out.

 

Zane pulled out the bomb. It was bigger than a microwave and it had wires sticking out of it. The Masters cheered as Zane threw it to the ground, crushing it into pieces. Jay heroically kicked it. 

 

Zane pulled down the part of his mask that covered his mouth, fully displaying his gleeful smile. Most of the metal was still there, and there was a hole where the bomb was. He looked inside and his smile quickly faded. Cole’s stomach dropped.

 

“What is it?” Cole asked, voice low. “What’s in there, Zane?”

 

Zane turned to the Masters, frantic. “Get down!” he yelled.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

Zane said quickly, “There’s a smaller bomb in here; the explosion won’t be as dangerous but it could still affect all of you so get down!” All of the Masters did as they were told- except Cole.

 

“What about you?” Cole exclaimed. “You’re right next to it!”

 

“ _COLE, GET D-_ ”

 

Cole flew across the room. His ears popped. Smoke clouded his vision. He couldn’t move or speak or think. Everything hurt. He was lucky he wasn’t dead.

 

Zane was right. The explosion wasn’t as dastardly. It was small, and it mostly affected the boulder the bomb was on. Chunks of smoldering metal were scattered on the ground. The remaining Masters got up, coughing. Some took their masks off. 

 

“Hey,” Jay said, helping Cole up. “Are you okay?”

 

“Zane,” Cole croaked. “Where is Zane?” He stood up and began stumbling around.

 

Jay looked up and started calling for him. The others followed. 

 

“Saisho,” Nya breathed. “He was right next to that explosion.”

 

“I know,” Lloyd whispered.

 

“What if he’s…”

 

“Don’t say it.”

 

Jay tripped on something. As he got up, he picked up what caused him to fall. Cole saw that he looked sick to his stomach.

 

“Guys,” Jay said, trembling.

 

“Not now, Jay,” Kai snapped, rummaging through everything. “Zane! Where are you!?”

 

“Over here is most of the rubble from the box,” Skylor said. “He might be in there.”

 

Jay spoke again, “Guys I really think you should look at this-”

 

“It can _wait,_ ” Kai graveled. “Lloyd, help me move this.” It was a huge piece of metal. Cole joined.

 

Jay's voice got higher. “This seems _really important_ if you would just-”

 

“ _SHUT THE FUCK UP!_ ” Kai roared. “I don’t need to see whatever cool knick-knack you picked up, I don’t need your useless commentary, and I don’t need you. Our teammate- our _friend_ could be in grave danger right now and we won’t get anywhere with your shitty jokes! So drop the act and _be helpful for once!_ ” Silence. Cole tried to ignore it and kept on moving the metal. He saw a pair of legs and his spirits lifted.

 

“Guys!” Cole announced. “I found Zane! He’s here!” He got rid of the steel covering his face. “He’s-”

 

Cole’s stomach dropped. His hands began to shake and his throat closed up. He felt like he was being choked again. Fury built up in his chest. His heart pounded and his pulse quickened. His expression turned into a scowl as he looked at Zane in disgust. He wasn't sure how to exactly describe what he was feeling. The only thing that came to mind was betrayal.

 

Zane was glitching. His light skin and platinum hair was metal. Half of his face was gone, revealing hundreds of thousands of wires and parts. There was a glowing blue light where his eye was supposed to be. Cole couldn’t fully comprehend what was going on but he knew one thing for sure. Zane wasn’t human.

 

"Zane...?" Lloyd called in a small voice.

 

The robot opened its eye and sat up weakly. It saw the Masters surrounding it and smiled.

 

“I am fine,” it assured. “I… why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Jay approached the machine with the thing he tripped on in hand. It was clear that he had been crying, but he put his mask back on to cover it. He handed it to the machine. The object was the other half of the face. Zane’s eye widened and realized that its secret has been exposed. It took the part and reattached it to the face.

 

“How in the world…” Nya mumbled under her breath. Kai looked like he had just connected the dots and everything was starting to make sense now.

 

“I’m…” it said, “I’m so sorry. I never meant for you to find out this way.” The body glitched and glimmered until the metal looked like skin and hair.

 

“Zane,” Skylor said softly. “Why didn’t you tell us before?” 

 

“I-“ it began to say.

 

“Because it's a liar,” Cole interrupted. 

 

Lloyd gave a stern glance. “Cole.”

 

“What? You expect me to trust this… this _thing_ after discovering this? Do you think he’s actually _feeling?_ It’s all just ones and zeroes.”

 

“Cole, that’s enough!” Lloyd scolded. “Zane is a part of our team. Things aren’t always going to be what they seem and that’s something that we have to deal with. This is all... a bit weird, but Zane is still a Master, and-”

 

“It’s metal.”

 

“B-but,” Nya stammered, “he’s so much more than that!”

 

Cole cried, “Yeah! ‘Zane’ is a traitor. It doesn’t care what any of us say, because it’s all coded. I don’t care what it can and can’t do. I don’t know how it was able to keep up this act for so long, and I don’t care how or when that thing became a Master, and I don’t know _why_ it was given those abilities in the first place. All I know is that Zane… that fucking robot _doesn’t_ deserve to be a Master and it’s sure as hell doesn’t deserve to be called our _friend!_ ” Cole was seeing red. He was so furious he didn’t even know what to focus on. The hurt expression Zane was giving? The horrified looks from the Masters? The angry tears forming in his eyes? He didn't know. Who cared, anyway?

 

“ _Cole!_ ” Skylor shouted. “What’s your problem?!”

 

“I-” Cole stopped himself. They were never going to listen to him. Nobody would ever understand. There wasn’t a point, there wasn’t a reason. All he felt like he could do now was leave.

 

Cole put on his mask. “I have to go.” He turned on his heel and walked away. 

 

“Wait,” Jay pleaded. “Cole! Where are you going?”

 

Cole ignored the people calling after him. He ignored the passed-out Killow that was suddenly gone. He ignored all of the interviewers asking questions about the mission. He ignored the authorities, the press- everyone. He summoned his dragon and he flew.

 

Where would he go? He considered going back home. Hell, he tried to force himself. But he didn’t want to deal with his dad. Not right now. He went back to the monastery. He would just lock himself in his room. He didn’t want to talk or see anybody.

 

He just wanted to be alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tfw your teammate is actually a robot like this post if u relate 
> 
> Anyways "The Fall" had me in legit tears so that was fun! Let's see if season 10 destroys me before I finish Baransu :D  
> Until next week!


	30. XXIX-Jay-XXIX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Firstly, I just wanna start us off by saying what a hell of a finale. I'm upset that Ninjago ended, but this gives me a will to live.  
> Anywhom, this chapter is kinda short but I hope y'all enjoy :D

There was a _lot_ to unpack.

 

Firstly, Kai apologized to Jay. “I was really stressed out and scared,” the Fire Master admitted. “I never meant any of that. I’m sorry, dude.” Jay accepted Kai's apology, even though he was still kind of hurt.

 

Then there was Zane. A robot. Jay thought human-acting robots were only a thing in Star Ferrer. Then again, they were just humans acting like robots.

 

Wu was absolutely shaken at the news. He went off about how “it all makes sense now” and “no wonder it all seemed fake”.

 

But Zane just seemed so _realistic._ Of course, now Jay was picking up on things he didn’t before. If you looked closely, you could tell Zane wasn’t human. His hair was too nice, and his skin was just a bit too smooth. His ears were also too rectangular to be natural. Overall, he looked too _perfect_ to be real.

 

The day after the mission, Jay went out of his way to spend time with Zane. He noticed the Ice Master was being reclusive. Zane didn’t deserve to go through this alone. Sure, it probably was all code, but Jay could sympathize with almost anything. Besides, he didn’t want Zane to feel weird. Just more accepted.

 

“Hey.” Jay walked into the small library and saw Zane sitting alone. “You, uh, came here to read?”

 

“You do not have to act as if nothing happened,” Zane said without making eye contact. 

 

Jay sat on the table. “Actually, I wanted to talk about the things that happened. You get that we still love you, Zane, right? You’re still a part of this family.”

 

“I’m not accepted, though.”

 

“By who? I don’t see Lloyd complaining about it. Skylor seems chill about it. Same with Kai. I know Nya’s super interested.”

 

“Cole.”

 

_Cole._ Jay had almost forgotten about him. How he acted during their last mission… Jay thought a lot of things about Cole. None of them bad, but the things Cole had said was just low. It almost made Jay feel angry. He could never tell him that, though.

 

“Forget him,” Jay scoffed. “The point is, you’re this amazing machine that’s capable of so many things! You’re like, an updated human.”

 

Zane smiles somberly. “Thank you.” Jay sat there awkwardly, not knowing what to say next. Zane sighed and said, “You can ask questions about my robotic features, Jay.”

 

Jay beamed, “Can you summon lasers? Like, are your arms canons or something?”

 

“No,” Zane replied. “I just have my ice powers.”

 

“Can you access the Internet?”

 

“I can, but I can’t interact. Only view.”

 

Jay gasped in awe. “Internet vision,” he whispered. “Who built you? I mean, if you’re able to function as a normal person and have cool robot scanners, it must have been some technological genius. Was it Borg?”

 

Zane said in a small voice, “I… I don’t know who my creator was. He never told me his name.”

 

“But you’ve met him, right?” Jay asked. “Couldn’t you do facial recognition? Do you even have that?”

 

“I do. I have unlimited access to nearly everything, but he is the one thing that’s blocked in my software.”

 

“That’s not really fair,” Jay pouted. He tried thinking of some other way. He wanted to cheer up Zane, and he thought this was the only way. Suddenly, an idea popped in his brain. “What if someone took out whatever blocking is in your software?”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“I worked with machines all the time back at home,” Jay explained. “And I’ve talked to Nya, and she’s really good at programming and changing things up. Maybe we could-“

 

“That won’t be necessary,” Zane insisted. “I know I’ll find out eventually. I’m in no rush right now. There are other things to worry about.”

 

“B-but,” Jay stammered, “that would make you happy, wouldn’t it?”

 

Zane put a hand on the boy's shoulder. “I appreciate all of the efforts you're putting in. I really do. You being there for me made me happy enough. You’re a good person, Jay. I couldn’t ask for a better friend right now.” Jay could tell from his tone and expression that he was being %100 genuine. 

 

_Don’t cry don’t cry don’t cry-_

 

“Thanks, Zane,” Jay said. He was really trying not to cry. “I- that means a lot to me.”

 

Zane looked glad. He looked like the intellectual, satisfied guy Jay met at the beginning of summer, except more content. More proud.

 

“Goodnight, Jay,” Zane bid with a blissful expression.

 

The Lightning Master looked at the time. He didn’t even realize how late it was. 

 

“Oh. Night,” Jay started to leave. “I forgot we had to get up early for training.”

 

“And it’s always good to get a full eight hours of sleep,” Zane added on.

 

“Yeah, it- wait, isn’t ‘and’ a preposition?”

 

Zane blinked, realizing his mistake. “I- I suppose it is?”

 

“OH MAN,” Jay laughed. “I just kicked your ass with grammar. I’m can’t believe I’m smarter than you.”

 

“It was one mistake! You should stop before I kick your arse in real life,” Zane teased.

 

Jay continued to snicker until he got to his room. It was nice getting to goof around with somebody that's usually serious. 

Laying down on his bed, he tried to make himself go to sleep. He was unsuccessful, of course. Even if he did manage to pass out, his nightmares would just wake him up again. 

 

Jay was scrolling through his phone at the ripe hour of one a.m. when there was a soft knocking at his door. Cole let himself in, looking like he hadn’t slept in days.

 

“Hey,” Cole greeted in a raspy voice.

 

Jay sat up in his bed. “I thought you ran away. I haven't seen you in days.” Cole shook his head. 

 

Usually, when Cole came in, Jay was happy. Cole made good company, and he was really starting to warm up to him. But right now, Jay couldn't help but feel irritated. Of course, he still liked being around Cole, but he was bothered by how he treated Zane earlier. 

 

“Did I wake you up?” Cole asked.

 

“I was already up.”

 

Cole eyed Jay, concerned. “Are you okay? You look…”

 

“I-“ Jay started to say. “You know what? Never mind. It’s nothing.”

 

“It sounds like something.”

 

Jay raised his shoulders. “I just don’t see the point in discussing one problem while you’re avoiding another!”

 

“I’m…” Cole said. “What?”

 

Jay realized what he blurted out. Then he realized that he should not have said that. He didn’t want to make Cole upset. Then again, he didn’t like how he treated Zane.

 

“I didn’t like how you reacted back at the Jade Palace,” Jay confessed. He held himself. “You acted rudely, and I just- I don’t know.”

 

Cole tensed up. “I have the _right_ to be upset. Zane is a fake, and I know I’m not wrong. He l _lied_ to us, Jay.”

 

Jay mumbled something under his breath.

 

“What was that?” Cole interrogated. 

 

Jay gulped. He was going to regret this, but it was too late to go back now. He made a fist with his sweaty palms and dug his nails into his palms to give himself the adrenaline he needed. Making direct eye contact with Cole, he spoke up:

 

“Well I think you’re _wrong,_ ” Jay announced. “Zane is the most caring person I’ve ever met. He’s more human than some actual humans. He only wants to be honest with us, Cole. I think the liar here is _you._ ”

 

Shit. 

 

Jay was expecting to feel deep regret, but he didn't feel any of that. It almost felt wrong to not second guess everything, but he kept going.

 

“ _I’m_ the liar?” Cole demanded defensively. “L-“

 

Jay didn’t let him finish. “You were so _awful_ to Zane. You can be mad that somebody didn’t tell you something, but that doesn’t give you an excuse to be a dick to them and say that they’re worthless!”

 

“What does Zane care about what I say anyway?” Cole tore his gaze away from Jay. “Why would anybody care about what I have to say?”

 

“Because,” Jay’s voice became softer, “you’re my friend. And so is Zane. I don’t want my friends not getting along.” Cole didn’t respond. Jay sighed. “Look. I know you may think that Zane’s some emotionless bot, but he’s not. I saw him and he looked so _upset._ He looked insecure a- and sad and alone. I know what it’s like to feel that way, and seeing Zane, someone completely worthy of love, be that way made _me_ upset. I’ve been trying to make him feel better, but the only way for everyone to accept this and move on is if you get over yourself.” Nobody said anything for a bit.

 

Cole finally said weakly, “How am I supposed to do that?”

 

“Talk to him,” Jay answered. “It’ll be worth it. Trust me.”

 

Cole gave a small nod. "Sorry." He left the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sis snapped  
> see ya next week!


	31. XXX-Zane-XXX

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aye it's Monday  
> Did I have school off today? Yes  
> Did I use this as an opportunity to update early? lmao no sorry guys

Zane knew he was different from the moment he was activated. Besides the obvious factor of being a robot, Zane wasn’t built like every other machine. Mainly, it was because he didn’t act like a machine. He didn’t necessarily behave human either. He tried _acting_ like everyone else when he worked at the library and when he was with the Masters, but now he was trying to act more like… him. 

 

The Masters, on the other hand, _acted_ as nothing had happened, but they’re all bad actors. Zane knows they didn’t mean to treat him differently, but he was beginning to refer that than awkward chatter avoiding the obvious.

 

It seemed like every five minutes, Lloyd would come along and tell him that he was “still a part of this family, no matter what”. It’s a sweet gesture, and it was comforting to hear the first few times, but now it feels stretched out and meaningless. 

 

Skylor would give awkward smiles and pats on the back. It’s completely obvious that she has a million questions, but she’s too scared to ask them. Zane has tried to confront her about it, but she denies it and walks away.

 

Kai’s approach was asking questions about anything except technology. In fact, he seemed to avoid the subject altogether. Strangely enough, Zane _wanted_ to talk about it to Kai, but he could never bring it up. 

 

Nya… studied him. Zane would catch her hiding behind furniture, trying to figure out how the droid worked. She would try to slip in questions as if they were no big deal. The few times Zane approached or interacted with Nya while she was watching, she fled. All he wanted to do was offer to give her the answers to her questions so she would stop acting so creepy.

 

Jay was a breath was fresh air. He wasn’t shy about Zane being a robot. He wasn’t too overly interested either. Of course, some of his questions made Zane feel like he was being stereotyped, but Jay was doing his best to respect him. Not as a human nor a robot, but as Zane. And that meant a lot to him. 

 

While the other Masters were being somewhat restless, Zane figured they were still trying their best. It would be unrealistic for him to expect everyone to react properly. After all, it wasn’t every day your friends discovered you were a robot. At least they were taking it somewhat well.

 

Except Cole.

 

It was almost fascinating how quickly Cole switched from being Zane’s best friend to barely treating him like a person. The fact destroyed him.

 

Zane knew he shouldn’t have cared, but it was devastating to find the first person you called a friend would turn on you like that. He hoped that it would blow over soon. He _really_ just wanted to go back to his quiet life as a librarian, but he couldn’t risk the fate of Jago over some personal issues.

 

The Ice Master was sitting on his bed as the sun began to rise. He was reading a book on the various methods of combustion. Even though it was a violent subject, the subject matter gave him a sense of familiarity and gave him comfort. A small knock came from door causing Zane to put the book down. 

 

“Come in,” Zane invited. 

 

“Hey,” Cole said awkwardly. “I… it’s me.”

 

Zane stared at the Earth Master. Why was Cole here? Was he going to continue arguing? Was he going to pretend nothing happened?

 

“I just wanted to say… I’m sorry, Zane.”

 

Zane was taken aback. He honestly didn’t expect an apology. He didn’t know why, but it was probably because Cole seemed so set on his values. He was at loss for words. 

 

“Sorry,” Zane repeated after a moment of silence. “I’m surprised you’ll even look at me.”

 

Cole flinched. “Yeah. I deserved that. Mind if I sit?” Zane nodded and he sat himself down. Looking Zane in the eye, he took a deep breath. “What I did- what I said was wrong. I was being rude, selfish, and a jerk. I shouldn’t have hurt you like that.”

 

“I should have told you sooner,” Zane confessed dreadfully.

 

“But you couldn’t have,” Cole blurted. “The first day I met you, I remember talking badly about robots. I was always a dick to you, I just never realized it.”

 

“That’s why I should have told you sooner. So we wouldn’t have to deal with this now.”

 

“We _have_ to deal with this. It’s a part of who you are. I’m happy this is happening now rather than never. You’re my friend, Zane.”

 

Zane shouted, “ _Then why did you say those things?_ ” He hadn’t meant for those words to come out, but they did. It was too late to go back. “Why did you say all of those awful words? Why?” His voice broke. If he were human, he probably would have been crying right now. He hadn’t felt this weak since the doctor’s funeral. 

 

“Because,” Cole said with a shaky breath, “I was being dumb. I don’t like it when people hide things from me. A-and I know that’s not an excuse. I was angry and I couldn’t control myself. But I promise- _promise_ that I will never say anything like that ever again. I’m not asking you to forgive me. I just want you to know from the bottom of my heart that you’re my friend, and I never want to hurt you again.”

 

Zane’s throat closed up. He held himself tightly, trying to maintain his strength. Despite all of this emotion, he couldn’t cry, even if it was the only thing he wanted to do right now. 

 

“Why do you hate droids so much?” Zane asked quietly. “You’ve said your excuses, but what is the _reasoning?_ Why did it come to this?”

 

Cole didn’t say anything at first. He looked down at his feet, almost unmoving. Finally, he looked up, and Zane could see tears forming in his eyes.

 

“My mom,” Cole mumbled, “she, uh, she left on a mission. Wu contacted her and reported suspicious activity in the Jungle of Worship. She was the only available Master, so she went. Alone.” Cole swallowed. 

 

“A day later, she didn’t come back. My dad called the police and they told us they would send out the new patrolling droids. Later my dad called again to see if they were looking. They weren’t. A couple of days later, my dad called _again_ and _still_ , nobody was looking for my mom. _Three weeks_ later they tell us they’re sending out one droid to look for her.

 

“They found her in a temple less than a mile away from the palace. She-” Cole stopped. He couldn’t go on. He closed his eyes and tears streamed down his face.

 

“I am so sorry,” Zane whispered. “I had no idea. You don’t have to keep going. I understand now.”

 

Cole shook his head. “After the funeral, I was so angry. I-I just…” Zane put his hand on Cole’s back. 

 

“It’s okay,” Zane comforted. “It’s okay.” Cole continued to cry on the robot’s shoulder. A minute later, he wiped his face and stood up. 

 

“Zane, I’m _so_ sorry,” he apologized again. “If there’s anything I can do to make it better-”

 

“The promise you made earlier,” Zane answered. “Never break it. Also, take care of yourself. It's... been a rough couple of days.” Cole slowly nodded, and then put on a small grin. He was about to leave the room before Zane added, “Oh, and Cole? If you ever need anything, you can come to me.”

 

“Thank you, Zane.”

 

Zane smiled. “It’s what friends are for.”

 

\--------

 

Things were starting to get a little less awkward. At dinner the next night, Zane came clean on how he wished to be treated. The Masters took note of this and tried to follow what Zane said. They would slip up every once in a while, but that was okay. They were only human.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	32. XXXI-Lloyd-XXI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof sorry if these chapters haven't been the snazziest. school's been kicking my ass and I'm tired 25/8. I hope you guys enjoy regardless. Happy Monday!

It’s been a long week.

 

Between the bomb and Zane, Lloyd was tired. His energy was drained, and all he wanted to do was sleep. Laying his head on his pillow, he was about to take a rest well-deserved. 

 

He couldn’t sleep. Something seemed off, and he didn’t know what. He fluffed his pillow but it still felt uncomfortable. He changed his position, but it still felt wrong. He plugged in an old nightlight, but he still felt in the dark.

 

Lloyd gave up and retired to the living room. It was empty. Looking at all of the empty space, he felt like there could be more. There was something missing.

 

_Something missing… something missing._

 

Suddenly, like if somebody flipped a switch, it hit him. Coincidentally, somebody turned the light on at the same time.

 

“Lloyd?” Zane said. “Why are you not in bed?” 

 

“Zane,” Lloyd replied. “I just realized that we never told you-“

 

“Told me what?”

 

Lloyd took a deep breath. “We’re missing a Master, and I need your help figuring out who it is.”

 

Zane raised an eyebrow. “You think I didn’t know?”

 

Of course. Zane was a machine with a seemingly infinite database. Why wouldn’t he have it figured out by now?

 

“Do you know who it is?” Lloyd asked, hopeful.

 

“Unfortunately, no,” Zane answered. He seemed just as disappointed as Lloyd. “I’ve had almost no time to investigate this since we’ve been so busy with… other things.”

 

Lloyd slowly nodded. “We should start. The sooner the better.”

 

“That’s a negative,” Zane chuckled. “It’s 11:04. Over an hour past the preferred regular sleep schedule.”

 

“I’m not a baby,” Lloyd groaned. “Come on! I’m sure we can solve this in _seconds._ ”

 

Zane held up a finger. “We can start with the rest of the team _tomorrow_. Now, get some sleep, please.” 

 

Lloyd sighed and went to his room. After closing the door, he fished out his smartphone that the Masters has gotten him as a gift. He searched up “Masters” on Goggler hoping he would find something. Instead, all he got was various news stories concerning him and his teammates. Next thing Lloyd knew, his phone was across the room with a cracked screen. 

 

He felt hopeless. He felt like there was nothing he could do. He knew the answers had to be somewhere in front of him, hiding in plain sight. He was supposed to be the leader. But how was he supposed to lead when he didn’t have everyone on his team? It was infuriating. It was pathetic. It made him so _angry-_

 

_Control yourself. Deep breaths._

 

Lloyd didn’t realize how hard his heart was pounding. He turned to look in the mirror. His eyes were turning red. That wasn’t good. He just had to relax and everything would be back to normal. He couldn’t afford to let his anger get the best of him. Not here, not now, not ever. 

 

Eventually, he found himself back on his bed. He wasn’t sure when exactly, but he fell asleep and was woken up by the sound of someone knocking on his door. 

 

“Lloyd?” Kai called. “We have to start training in five minutes, dude.”

 

Lloyd literally leaped out of bed and threw on his training gi. His hair was a mess and his breath probably smelt, but he didn’t have time. He scrambled to the training room where everyone else was waiting. He never slept in or ran late before. It was kind of embarrassing.

 

“Woah,” Cole said. “Everything good, pal?”

 

“I had a hard time falling asleep last night,” Lloyd confessed rubbing his eyes. “But I’ll be fine. Let’s start.”

 

Jay assured, “You’ll get used to it. I haven’t gotten a full eight hours of sleep in my entire _life._ ” Nya looked at Jay concerningly.

 

Wu walked in looking as he always did. Even with his age, he could still compete in a fair fight. He ordered all of them to stand side by side. 

 

“The Sons of Garmadon have sent a few people for a heist every now and then,” he said, “but it’s seen a while since there was something big. We have to start preparing for that. Their next attack can be anywhere in the city. It could be in the Jungle of Worship. It would even be in your hometown. So, you must be prepared for anything.”

 

Lloyd blinked. Wu has given him a similar speech before, so he was kind of spaced out. He was really trying to pay attention, but he wouldn’t be surprised if he passed out right there.

 

Wu’s staff hit him in the face. 

 

“ _Anything,_ ” Wu repeated.

 

Kai tapped Lloyd on the shoulder. “Are you sure you’re alright?” Lloyd nodded. “I think you should lay down or something-”

 

“No,” Wu objected. “Everybody trains.” Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. “After I see who’s here.” 

 

As soon as the Sensei left, the team crowded Lloyd. They started bombarding him with questions and checking to see if he would live through the day. Lloyd couldn’t process anything that was coming out of anyone’s mouth. 

 

“I’ve been thinking,” Lloyd mumbled, barely understandable, “we’re still missing someone…”

 

Zane sighed. “Lloyd, I told you we would work on it in the morning with the others.”

 

“Wait,” Skylor said. “You spent all night trying to figure out who this Mystery Master is?”

 

“Not all night,” Lloyd yawned. “Only until around midnight.” He heard Jay laughing until someone hit him.

 

Jay then chuckled quietly, “I mean, uh, that’s rough, buddy.”

 

Nya pat Lloyd on the back. “How about we do this after training, huh? We’ll try to make Sensei Wu go easy on you.”

 

“I can do this,” Lloyd assured. “As Master Wu said, I have to be prepared for anything.” As if on cue, Wu walked in.

 

“Lloyd, students,” he addressed, “we have company. Say hello to Mrs. Garmadon.”

 

“ _What?_ ” Lloyd yelled. 

 

And there she was. Entering the training room was the woman with the green bandana around her neck- Misako.

 

“Please,” she chuckled, “I’ve been going my Ms. for years. You can call me Misako.”

 

\--------

 

Lloyd’s mom watched them all train up until lunchtime. After they’ve all eaten, Wu called them back to the training room. 

 

“Students,” Wu said, “I don’t believe you’ve ever met Misako. This is Lloyd’s mother. She’s an archeologist.”

 

“Misako,” Zane greeted, approaching her, “it’s an honor to meet you. I’ve seen multiple sources cite that the Master of Energy fought valiantly during the Serpentine Wars.”

 

Misako smiled. “Oh, you flatter me. However, I don’t wish to hear anything about the Energy Master unless it’s about Lloyd.”

 

Lloyd tried looking honored, but he probably looked more annoyed than anything. All he could think about was the argument they had gotten in last time she was here. Then, the next day, she was gone.

 

“So why are you here?” Lloyd asked. “I mean- it’s just sudden, that’s all.”

 

“Well, I didn’t have to work today,” she explained. “I figured I would drop by and see how everyone’s doing! I’ve been dying to meet everyone.”

 

“I’m Skylor,” the Reflection Master introduced herself. “This is Kai, Nya, Zane, Jay, and Cole.”

 

“Zane…?” Misako questioned, turning to Wu.

 

“It’s a long story,” Wu told her.

 

Misako started having conversations with all of the Masters. Lloyd tapped his foot on the floor impatiently. He needed to do research. Important research. His mom was only slowing them down. Nobody else seemed to notice or care. He wanted to yell. Lloyd wanted so bad to be mad at Misako, but he knew he couldn’t.

 

_Relax,_ he told himself. _She probably won’t be here for long anyway._

 

“So,” Lloyd asked, “how long do you plan on staying?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Misako shrugged. “I don’t have to go back to work for five days, so I was thinking until then. If it’s okay with Master Wu, of course.”

 

“I have no problem with it,” Wu replied. “You can always share a room with me.”

 

Lloyd wasn’t sure what to do. Misako was a distraction to everyone. The longer she stayed, the more Jago was put at risk. How come nobody else saw the danger of her being here? Not even Zane. His mind went blank until everyone was leaving the room. 

 

“Nice lady,” Cole was telling Jay.

 

“Yeah,” he replied. “I still don’t know what bequeath means, though.”

 

Lloyd went to his room and tried going to sleep. But, yet again, he couldn’t. Something needed to be done and it had to happen now. He tried thinking of who would help him. He needed someone smart and intelligent. Zane would just make him go back to bed, so he was off the table. 

 

Jay was pretty smart, Lloyd figured. Sure, he seemed like an idiot, but Lloyd’s seen him try building stuff. He knew that not just any normal person could just come up with ideas like that. Nya would also be good for the job. He probably needed someone that calculated more anyway. Jay didn't really... think things through.

 

He knocked quietly on the Water Master’s door, careful not to wake the others.

 

“Lloyd?” Nya asked, opening the door. She was wearing pajamas and her hair was down.

 

Lloyd took a deep breath. “I need to find out who this new Master is as soon as possible-”

 

Nya sighed, “Please, it’s getting late-”

 

“Nya,” Lloyd begged. “Please. You don’t know how much I need this. How much the _team_ needs this. If we can't find this new Master, then we could fail, and I don't know what I would do if I lost everything. This is the only thing that can guarantee our success. Please, Nya. I'm asking you as a friend.”

 

Nya thought for a few seconds. Lloyd tried looking as hopeless as possible. Finally, she gave in.

 

“Fine,” she subjected. “How can I help?”

 

Lloyd bowed his head. “Thank you so much."

 

"Don't sweat it. So is it just going to be you and me or...?"

 

Lloyd looked up. "Don't worry. We still need help from one more person."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before I leave, I would like to do some shameless self-promotion. I have an art account where I occasionally post, so in case you guys were interested, my @ is @mediocreeci 🤠
> 
> Have a nice week everyone!


	33. XXXII-Nya-XXXII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I'm really excited to share this chapter akssjkdhkajf. Hope you guys enjoy!  
> Also, shout out to the person who commented "suck it Wu" on chapter 4. Mad respect.

Nya didn’t know why she was so sympathetic. Lloyd didn’t even have to convince her for that long before she felt guilty. She supposed she was doing the right thing, though. They were missing a _Master_. And not just any Master. One of the main eight. 

The Water Master threw her hair in a ponytail and put on her leather jacket, but she still stayed in her pajamas. She met up with Lloyd in the doorway and he led her down the hallway, not stopping until they got to one of the last doors.

“This is Jay’s room,” Nya stated. “Are you also gonna ask for Zane’s help?”

Lloyd shook his head. “If I talked to Zane at this hour he would probably drug me to sleep. Besides him, you and Jay are the smartest people I know.”

Nya felt flattered. She never wanted to brag about her wits, but it was nice to be noticed. It was like when a kid you’re babysitting compliments your cool shirt. 

“Could you be the one that asks Jay? I would do it, but I think he’s more likely to say yes to someone he’s close to,” Lloyd said.

Nya raised an eyebrow. “Jay’s close to everyone.”

“Yeah, but you guys are close close.”

Nya shrugged and lightly tapped her knuckles on the door. She thought she probably should have knocked harder. Jay was probably fast asleep by now. He might even have to be shaken awake.

The door swung open and Jay greeted them all with a hopeful smile and a twinkle in his eye. He definitely hasn’t been asleep.

“I thought you said you weren’t co-” he began to say. His eyes fixed on Nya and Lloyd and his shoulders slumped. He managed to keep the smile on. “Oh. Hey guys. What’s uh, what’s going on?”

“Expecting someone else?” Nya asked. 

“No, I- no.”

Nya went on, “Lloyd and I were about to start investigating who the new Master may be.”

“This late at night?” Jay asked.

“Lloyd’s having a hard time falling asleep,” Nya whispered, leaning in. “The sooner the better.”

Jay bit his cheek. “I don’t see why not. I’m gonna put some pants on. Meet me in the library?”

Lloyd must have nodded behind Nya, because the door closed and Lloyd started walking away. She caught up with him and they made their way to the small library. Nya sat down. Lloyd paced back and forth. A few moments later, Jay came in wearing pants. 

“Alright,” he said. “Let’s do this.”

 

\--------

 

The first thing they tried was Goggler. Lloyd explained to Jay and Nya that when he first tried looking it up, all he got were news stories. Jay typed in “types of Masters”. The first link to pop up was a Brickipedia, with a whole list.

“Wow,” Nya exclaimed. “This is easier than I thought.” 

It wasn’t easier than she thought.

Lloyd skimmed the list. “Apple Master?”

“Is that a thing?” Jay asked. Nya thought he was joking, but after seeing the expression on his face she saw he was being dead serious.

Lloyd shook his head. “Most of these aren’t legitimate. There’s over 500 results on here. People probably just add on random things.”

“So how do we determine which ones are real?” Nya questioned. “Even if we were able to dig out all the real ones, any one of those could be one of the main eight.”

“We don’t have time to do that,” Lloyd stated. “But this is the only thing we can publicly access.” He groaned. “If we had something that could get us specific information in an instant, this could be over with.”

The gears in Nya’s head started turning. “Would you care if it were illegal?”

Lloyd slammed his head on the desk. “At this point? No.”

“Even if it seemed extremely sketchy?”

Lloyd lifted his head. “What are you getting at?”

“I think I know somebody who can help. Tomorrow, we’ll go to Baransu.”

“Are you meeting a drug dealer or something?” Jay asked, voice squeaky.

Nya shrugged. “He might be.”

 

\--------

 

“‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Pawnshop’,” Jay read. “A pawnshop owner is going to tell us who the missing Master is?”

It was early in the morning. The sun was barely rising and very few people were out on the streets. It was chilly out, but everyone knew the heat would kick in eventually.

“Probably not the specific person,” Nya confessed, “but I’m sure he can at least give us their element.”

“Who is this again?” Lloyd asked. It was obvious he didn’t like being here.

“Ronin,” Nya said. “He’s the one that gave us all of that money. Remember? We bought you a phone with it.”

Jay opened the door and the three were hit with an icy blast of cool air. 

“Well,” he said, shivering, “someone’s not worried about the electric bill.”

It was freezing. Nya hugged herself as they approached the front desk. Ronin sat there, hat covering his face. He carried a strange aura. He didn’t look up or say anything.

“So mysterious,” Jay whispered. Then they heard a snore.

“He’s not being mysterious,” Lloyd told. “He’s just asleep.”

Nya knocked on the desk a few times. “Ronin!”

Ronin woke up with a start and nearly fell out of his chair. He was able to quickly recover and lean on the counter, sneering at the three teens.

“Good morning to you, too, kid,” he scoffed. “What do you want? And who are they? More Masters?”

Lloyd tensed up and Jay started to laugh nervously. Nya had to tell them that Ronin was able to figure it out when she first came here with Skylor and Kai.

After understanding that Ronin wasn’t a threat (though he still had his doubts), Lloyd turned to the shop owner. “We need your help concerning… Masters.”

Ronin leaned back in his chair. “The one you’re missing. I heard.”

“Did you see it online?” Jay gulped.

Ronin shook his head. “It doesn’t take a lot of brains to figure it out. People rely too much on the news.”

Nya cleared her throat. “So I remember last time I visited you, you said you don’t know anybody who is a Master, but is there any way you know what the element is? You know, like, their power.”

Ronin slumped in his chair. “I might have, years ago. But once you’re off the streets, you start worrying about economy.” Nya sighed and was about to lose hope. “Listen, kids. I want to help you, but I gotta work all day today. However, I do know a certain someone who’s doing a project on the Masters for a summer assignment.”

“Is it…?” Nya began to ask. Hope started to come back to her chest. She got so excited, she almost started jumping up and down. Ronin nodded, and her spirits soared.

Lloyd looked quizzically between Nya and Ronin. “Who?” Just as he spoke, the three heard steps from above, gradually making their way down. The door opened behind Ronin, and out stepped the crook’s daughter, Willow.

“G’morning, dad,” she yawned. Her gaze fell on the Masters and she blinked a few times. “Nya? What are you doing here? And who are these guys?”

“Willow!” Nya greeted, almost a little too loud. “I- uh- need help on a project, and I heard that you could help. These are my… classmates.” Lloyd and Jay waved awkwardly.

Willow raised her eyebrows. “Well, it’s nice to meet you, Dave and Michael.”

“Who?” Jay asked. 

Nya laughed, “She likes to guess people’s names.” Then she turned to her, “Willow, this is Lloyd and Jay.”

Ronin said, “They’re doing a project on Masters, like you. Why don’t you take the day to work on it and help them out?” Nya was in awe of how good of an actor Ronin was. It sure made lying a lot easier for him.

“Why not?” Willow shrugged, then proceeded to hop over the counter. She wore a similar outfit from what she wore when Nya first met her, except this time the coat that was tied around her waist was now being worn like an actual coat. She kind of looked like a lawyer, if lawyers wore shorts and sneakers. 

Willow was the first to leave the shop. Nya followed shortly behind. She heard Lloyd guess, “I assume she doesn’t know?”

“She doesn’t,” Nya confirmed, “so be careful what you say to her.”

 

\--------

 

Eventually, they made their way to the Baransu Public Library. They would have been there sooner, but Willow had to stop at a chain cafe, Stardust, to get iced coffee.

The library had a modern twist to it. The glass walls reminded Nya of Borg Towers. A lot of desks were coffee tables, and a lot of chairs were beanbags. There was a ton of computers, a map on nearly every shelf, and a charging station. Like the pawnshop, the AC was on full blast. Most of the people in the library were talking amongst themselves, not doing any research at all. Nya assumed people were looking for a chill place to hang out while still beating the heat.

“Alright, nerds,” Willow said with affection, “where are we looking first? Probably the computers since the internet has, like, everything.”

“Actually,” Lloyd objected, “we already tried that. All that comes up is news stories about the Masters fighting in Jago.”

“What do you have against the Masters?” Willow asked jokingly. She snorted. “You’re right, though. I shouldn’t be using the internet as my reference anyway. Last time I did, my teacher totally kicked my ass.”

Nya looked between Willow’s nice-looking coat and the library. “Where do you go to school?” Nya asked.

Willow groaned, “I go to the Private Academy of Baransu. One of the two private schools in Jago.”

Jay shuddered. “At least it’s not Darkley’s. I’ve heard awful stories about that place.”

Lloyd took a deep breath. “Let’s start looking for anything Master-related. I’ll look in the science section with Jay. You two can look in the history section.”

Willow gave a thumbs up. “Sounds good, Greenie.” She looked at Nya and smiled. “I guess it’s just you and me.”

Nya and Willow made their way to the history section and began scanning through books. They were about halfway through and still haven’t found anything useful. 

“So,” Willow said, tossing another unneeded book, “who’s your favorite Master?”

Nya froze. She never expected to be asked this before. She didn’t want to say herself because that’d be narcissistic. She didn’t want to choose her favorite team member because that’d be biased. Instead, she played it off as, “I don’t really have one. What about you?”

“I really like the Water Master,” Willow reported. “Her spear is cool.” Nya started blushing and had to turn away before she was caught. She stuck her nose in the nearest book. She knew that being a Master would make her well-known, she was just surprised that anyone saw her as an _icon_. It was extremely flattering and almost unbelievable.

“Thanks,” Nya whispered.

“What?”

Nya quickly looked around, trying to change the subject. “I- oh, look here! In the book I’m holding. I think this one will actually give us the information we need.”

“Oh, cool!” Willow exclaimed. She took the book from Nya’s hands and immediately began flipping towards the end.

“Why are you doing that?”

“Something I’ve learned during my eleven years of education-” she explained, “-the older the book, the more likely that all of the juicy stuff is at the end. It saves up a bunch of time. Plus, this book looks old as hell.”

She was right. The pages were yellow and crinkled with every touch. Nya was surprised it didn’t turn to dust as soon as they touched it.

“Aaaaand here we go,” Willow revealed. She was at one of the last chapters in the book. “The main eight Masters. This is gonna be one hell of a report.”

Nya straighten up like a dog on alert. “Main eight? What does it say?”

Willow raised an eyebrow. “Hold your horses, girl. It says, ‘Saisho, the First Master to ever be, gifted mortals he deemed worthy pieces of his soul. Each piece held a power. The most important ones, however, are to prevent the powers of Creation and Destruction from becoming unbalanced. These powers were Energy, Reflection, Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, Earth, and…’ that’s weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this one before.”

“What does it say?” Nya buzzed. “Who is the eighth Master?” Nya could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Her palms became sweaty and she started to shake. This was the moment all of the Masters have been waiting for. This was going to be the breakthrough needed to succeed.

Willow looked up at her, confused. “I’ve never seen this one in the news, though.”

“Just- tell me what it is,” Nya begged. “ _Please._  
Willow read over the book again, then looked back at Nya. “‘Energy, Reflection, Fire, Water, Ice, Lightning, Earth…

“‘...and Wind.’”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YALLLLLLLL YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I WAS SHAKING WHEN I WROTE THIS I KNOW IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT BUT I'VE BEEN WAITING TO REVEAL THIS FOR SO LONG anways I hope everyone has a nice day and I'll see you next week :D


	34. XXXIII-Misako-XXXIII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HI SO SORRY FOR BEING LATE  
> School's been really crazy and I've been busy but luckily spring break starts next weekend so I'll have a lot of free time. Again, super sorry. I hope everyone enjoys this week's chapter!

“Where are they?” Wu demanded. The Sensei had called his students about ten minutes ago. Four of the seven showed up. Three were still missing- including her son.

 

Misako sighed. She hoped she hadn’t scared him off. She wanted to make up for what happened… last time.

 

In truth, Misako never expected to be a mother. As Garmadon started to act less and less human, she wanted to hold off. But one thing led to another and before she knew it, she was in the hospital giving birth. She knew she had to be a mom, but she was doing so well in her archaeology career. She made do with the time she was given but getting herself a steady job was the main priority. Eventually, she had to choose between Lloyd and her career. There was no way she could juggle both. She didn’t even have a house. She hopped from motel to motel when finally, she asked Wu for help. She visited whenever she could, but it was beginning to become obvious that she wasn’t there enough for Lloyd.

 

Misako began to worry. What if something terrible happened to him? Nya and Jay were also missing. Were they hurt?

 

“You keep losing these kids,” Misako sighed. “They sneak out more than Maya and Lily did.”

 

Wu smiled, recalling moments from their earlier days. “Cassandra was the only one who could bring them back. Maybe we’ll send out Cole?” 

 

Cole shook his head. “They’ll be here soon. Trust me.”

 

Misako let out a small laugh, but she was still worried. Finally, she heard the door swing open and three people stumbled to the training room. In came the missing students, wide-eyed. They looked like they just ran a marathon.

 

“So sorry,” Nya gasped, catching her breath. “We met to be here sooner, but…” 

 

Lloyd immediately went on his knees and bowed his head. “We’re so sorry, Sensei. Please excuse our tardiness. It won’t happen again?

 

“Where were you?” Wu shouted, the tips of his ears turning red. 

 

“Well,” Jay explained, “we were in the library because… I had a school project.” He shrugged sheepishly.

 

Wu raised an eyebrow. “It’s summer.”

 

“It was a summer assignment,” Jay excused, although it sounded more like a question than a statement.

 

Wu glared at the three. “I want you all to get dressed and then do sixty push-ups for being late. When you’re done, you can join the rest of the class.” 

 

Kai snickered, “I never thought I’d see the day where _I’m_ the responsible one.” Nya stuck her tongue out at her brother. She went down the hall with a mopey Jay. Lloyd didn’t move.

 

“Is there something you would like to say, Lloyd?” Wu asked. Lloyd swallowed. He looked like he desperately wanted to answer, but couldn’t find the words. He kept averting his gaze back and forth towards Wu and the rest of the team. Finally, he shook his head and left.

 

Zane sighed, “I will talk to him after class. Something seems to be troubling him.”

 

“Good call,” Skylor nodded. “Maybe a team meeting? Or would that be too much?”

 

Misako suddenly recalled the last time she was here. Her son’s words kept echoing in her mind.

 

How would you know anything about me?

 

You’re never here. 

 

Lloyd needed to talk to someone. He needed someone to listen and give him advice. Lloyd needed a mentor. A mother.

 

“No,” Misako blurted. The attention turned to her. “You don’t need to talk to Lloyd. I’ll do it.”

 

Wu leaned on his bo staff. “Are you sure?”

 

“I’m his mother,” Misako replied. “Of course I’m sure.”

 

\--------

 

Misako lightly tapped on the door. Lloyd was there seconds later.

 

“Mom,” he said, slightly surprised. 

 

“May I come in?” Misako asked. 

 

Lloyd nodded and Misako sat on Lloyd’s bed. Her son sat right next to her.

 

“How are you?” she questioned.

 

“Fine,” he replied. “Everythings… going good, actually.

 

Misako tilted her head. “It seems like something is bothering you.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

“Well, it’s clearly something.” She put her hand on Lloyd’s shoulder. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

 

“I know, I- I know.”

 

Misako sighed. “I know I haven’t been the best mom,” she confessed. “I’ve been thinking about our last argument, and since then I’ve been doing anything I can to visit you more. It’s just so hard between my job and your missions and, well, _everything._ ” She shifted. “I want to take the time to be a mom. Your mom. So could you please tell me what’s bothering you?”

 

“Bothering me?” Lloyd repeated. He leaned on his elbows and hid his face in his hands. “I’ve told my teammates more things than I’ve told you and Wu combined. And I guess… it’s nice to talk to you.” He looked up. “I need this.” Misako sat up straight, preparing herself for whatever heavy venting Lloyd had to do. She felt a little jumpy, to say the least. She was doing something right with Lloyd.

 

Lloyd took a deep breath. “When you were here during the Serpentine Wars, how many of you were there? Master-wise.”

 

Misako did some quick math in her head. “Well, counting your father and uncle, it was nine of us. But if you’re talking about the ‘main’ Masters, there were seven. Why?” Lloyd didn’t answer, but the answer dawned on Misako. It was like she was being dragged to an age-old problem she had long-forgotten. A feeling of dread filled her stomach. “You realized you’re missing a Master, too.”

 

Lloyd nodded. “I told Cole and then word got around. Everyone in this temple knows except for Wu.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell him?”

 

“Because I was worried,” he confessed. “I was _scared._ He always has to be right, and if I defy him it’s… awful. I was afraid that if I told him, he would punish me for going against his lessons.”

 

She held her breath. “Lloyd, he didn’t _hit_ you, did he?” 

 

“He never laid a finger on me,” he explained. “Wu would just belittle me and make everything harder for myself. It’s so passive, but it drove me insane.”

 

“That’s why you ran away with Cole to find the Masters?”

 

Lloyd pursed his lips. “Yeah. I was willing to do anything to leave.” He sniffed. “I lashed out, eventually. Kai and I snuck out and he hurt his eye. Wu screamed forever. Something in me decided it was enough and I just… to be honest, I don’t really remember what I said, but it was enough to change his mind. He started respecting us more. Respecting me. But I still get scared.”

 

“I’m so sorry,” was all Misako could say. She couldn’t relate to Lloyd. She never had to experience that. The most she could do was listen. She felt like she could be doing more, but to Lloyd, it seemed to be enough.

 

“Tell me more about the missing Master,” she said, trying to change the subject. “We only brought it up once, but you seem to be more determined.”

 

Lloyd rubbed his eyes. “We found some information. Not enough, though. Nya was able to find out their element.”

 

“Their element?” Misako’s eyes went wide. “Tell me what it is. Maybe I can help.”

 

“You wouldn’t happen to know who the Master of Wind is, would you?”

 

Misako solemnly shook her head. “It’s funny. We talked to all of the minor Masters but completely missed the big one.”

 

“It’s fine. We’ll find out who it is eventually.”

 

A lightbulb went off in Misako’s head. “You know, there were a good few years where Wu didn’t really contact anybody. Maybe in that time, he found something out?”

 

“I’m not asking him,” Lloyd said with a forced laugh. If he knew something, why wouldn’t he tell us?”

 

“I don’t know,” Misako shrugged, “but I’ve known your uncle for a very long time. He is one to keep secrets. It wouldn’t hurt to ask, especially for something this important.”

 

Lloyd stayed quiet. Finally, he said, “Okay. I’ll ask him.” He stood up and was about to walk out when he froze at the door. Suddenly he turned back.

 

“Lloyd?”

 

“Can you come with me?” Lloyd asked. “I just- I would feel better if-”

 

“Of course,” Misako beamed. “Come on. He’s probably in his room.” She stood up and led Wu to the end of the hallway. She squeezed Lloyd’s arm before he knocked. 

 

The door opened. Wu stood with his signature staff with chicken scratch all over it. Misako always wondered how they ended up there. 

 

“Misako, Lloyd,” the Sensei greeted. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

 

Lloyd straightened himself. He looked back, nervous. Misako gave him an encouraging nod. He took a deep breath and looked at Wu in the eye.

 

“Sensei,” he said. “We need to talk.”

 

Wu blinked. “About what?”

 

There was a beat. No one said anything for a while. Misako was afraid that Lloyd decided to back out when he suddenly spoke-

 

“The Master of Wind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter's a little short, but don't worry, we're going into flavortown now. Tea will be spilled. Wigs will be snatched. Roads will be worked ahead. Things are happening, my dear friends. The only question is: can i execute this story well enough to keep everyone entertained?


	35. XXXIV-Skylor-XXXIV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated and ready to work B^). Hope y'all enjoy this chapter. Have a nice week!

Skylor was still in a haze. About an hour ago, Nya had told all of the Masters their new discovery- the Master of Wind.

 

Skylor didn’t know who it was or where they were, but she was _excited._ Granted, she was also nervous. She didn’t know what to expect next. She fiddled with her hair, making a braid, undoing it, and doing it again. She didn’t stop until Kai walked into the living room.

 

“Hey,” he said.

 

Skylor gave him a smile. “Hi.”

 

“Do you need help braiding that?” he asked.

 

“You know how to braid hair?”

 

“Sure,” Kai sat on the couch next to Skylor and began working. “I used to have to braid Nya’s all the time.” 

 

Skylor glanced behind her, trying to catch a glimpse of Kai. “What are you doing here, anyways?”

 

“Lloyd called a meeting in here,” he explained. “The others should be here soon… and there we go.”

 

She chuckled. “Thanks.”

 

“No problem.”

 

They turned to each other and shared a short, sweet moment of just the two of them. Then Zane walked in. After that, the rest of the Masters trickled in.

 

“I’ve been doing some research concerning the Wind Master,” announced Zane. “Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anything recent and solid enough to give us any leads, but I believe I have a fair assumption on what they’re like.”

 

Cole leaned back on the couch. “The guessing game, huh? Alright, let’s hear it.”

 

Skylor offered, “I think it would make the most sense if they were an explorer of some kind. Off the map and doing their own thing.”

 

“What if he’s a bad ass wrestler,” Kai guessed. “I bet he’s taller than all of us. He’d scare the shit out of the Sons of Garmadon.” He laughed at the thought.

 

“I think she’s just a regular person who’s too busy with school to be hero,” Nya input.

 

“You think they’re just… average?” Skylor raised an eyebrow.

 

“More like, she’s trying her best to be the best student, so she doesn’t really focus on-”

 

“She?” Kai repeated.

 

“We don’t know anything about this person,” Nya defended. “A tiny part of me wishes it’s a girl so it isn’t just me and Skylor in your boys club.”

 

Jay laughed nervously. “Boys club?”

 

Zane interrupted, “May I give my assumption?”

 

“Go for it, man,” said Cole.

 

“There aren’t many recordings of the Wind Master,” Zane explained, “but based on the ones I could find, they are usually travelling themselves. A free spirit, if you will. Most records say that the Wind Masters are peaceful, so I believe the current one is a nomad, going from place to place, living a peaceful life.”

 

Skylor slowly nodded. Zane was probably right. He was an android, after all. Still, a small part of her doubted it. She was stricken by the word “most”. A majority of them were peaceful, but what if the current Wind Master was apart of the small group that wasn’t? She might have been getting ahead of herself, but she thought it was still worth considering.

 

“What if they’re a lone wolf?” Jay guessed, a hint of narration in his voice. “They had a hard past and no one understands them. Probably orphaned. They’re unsure if the power they have is a blessing or curse. And they probably have colorful hair-”

 

“The Wind Master isn’t a broody, bad-boy anime character, Jay,” Kai groaned. “What about you, Cole? What do you got?”

 

The Earth Master shifted in his seat. “I’m not sure, actually. Going off on what Jay said-” he glared at Kai “-they might be some troubled teen. Probably a thief or criminal. Especially if they’re an orphan.”

 

“A criminal,” Zane thought aloud. “Like a tax evader?”

 

Skylor joked, “You’re thinking of my boss.”

 

Zane gave Skylor a concerned look. “Should we call the authorities?”

 

“Why do you guys think he’s some angsty bad boy?” Kai complained. “The only bad boy around here is me.” Nya burst out laughing.

 

Skylor was about to defend Kai when she heard footsteps. She turned around and saw Wu and Lloyd. They wore serious facial expressions. She began to become a little concerned. 

 

Lloyd stood beside the couch as Master Wu stepped in front of all of them. Misako followed shortly behind and stood to the side. Wu leaned on his signature bo staff and sighed.

 

“So,” he said, “you all noticed we were missing someone?” Everyone nodded gravely and he continued, “I was hoping you wouldn’t notice, but you’re all smarter than that.”

 

Skylor was appalled by how quickly the mood changed. Just seconds ago, the Masters were smiling and joking around. Now it was dead silent, like they were being told serious news.

 

“Students, there’s something I haven’t told you yet,” confessed Wu. “I’m sure by now you have figured out you’re missing the Master of Wind, correct?”

 

Skylor spoke up, “How did you know?”

 

“Because,” he said, “I used to teach him.” Everyone in the room held their breath. All this time, Wu could have given them all the information they needed, but he said _nothing._ Skylor wanted to be mad. But then she saw the grief in his eyes and settled down. There was more to the story.

 

“Do you know where he is?” Lloyd asked in a demanding tone. Wu shook his head. “Tell us everything you know.”

 

Wu bowed his head. “Very well... many years ago, I was living alone in the monastery. I found him digging through the garbage and before I knew it I was raising him. A few years later, he got… angry with me. He left and I never saw him again. Not long after that, Lloyd was brought here.” The Masters took a minute to digest the information. It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

 

“His name,” Jay said softly. “What was his name?”

 

“Morro.”

 

Skylor tensed up. She was a bit overwhelmed with everything they were getting. She wanted to take a breather, but this is what they needed. For the sake of Jago. She understood why Wu was so reluctant to share this information. He clearly didn’t end on good terms with the Wind Master. He was probably ashamed of his failures. 

 

Skylor heard a quiet whine. She turned to look and saw that Jay was curled up in a ball, looking sick to his stomach. She wasn’t sure if he had gotten sick or was dying.

 

Cole quickly helped him off the couch. Nya helped him lift. The rest of them surrounded him for support.

 

“Jay,” Cole said, “you okay, bud?”

 

“I just… need a moment,” he said. His voice was shaky and he looked like he was about to hurl. Skylor was surprised he didn’t faint. “I need to lie down…”

 

“I’ll take you to your room,” Cole offered. “Nya, mind helping out?” The two helped Jay out of the room and came back a few minutes later. Cole looked troubled.

 

“Is he going to be okay?” Skylor asked no one in particular. 

 

“I think he was having a panic attack,” Zane said. “Perhaps he needs someone to help calm him?”

 

Cole shook his head. “He said he needed some space. Otherwise I would still be in there.”

 

Lloyd took a deep breath. “I guess it was just a lot to take in.”

 

Kai cleared his throat. “So this Morro guy… do you have any idea where he might be?”

 

Wu adjusted the grip on his staff. “Well, I hope I’m wrong about this, but… I believe he’s dead.”

 

\--------

 

“ _Dead!_ ” Kai cried out. “Can you believe it? All of that hard work just to find out he’s dead.”

 

“We don’t know if he is,” Skylor pointed out. “That’s just an assumption Master Wu made. There’s a chance he could be alive.”

 

“Yeah,” Kai said, “and there’s the chance that he’s _dead._ ”

 

Skylor sighed. The two were sitting in Kai’s room after the meeting. All they could talk about was the Wind Master. They wanted to have hope, but the more they talked, the more helpless their situation became.

 

“And if he is?” Skylor asked. “What would we do?”

 

“Perish?” Kai shrugged. “Unless you could bring a person back from the dead.”

 

Skylor paused. She had sworn she had heard something like that before. Probably from one of her dad’s sketchy friends, but she’s heard it before. An idea began to form in her brain.

 

“You might be onto something,” Skylor said.

 

“I am?”

 

“I’m going to go to bed now, but I promise I’ll tell you if I know it will work.” She stood up and went to the door frame. “Just don’t give up hope yet, okay?”

 

Kai’s anxious expression turned soft. “Okay.”

 

Skylor went to her room. She didn't go to bed right away, though. She had to research something.Her plan seemed crazy, but it could probably work. Besides, for all she knew, this was completely necessary. But you could never be too safe.

On her phone, she went on Goggler and searched-

" _How to summon a ghost._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One chapter finished, one chapter closer to having the complete team.  
> So what do you guys think? Is Morro dead like in canon? Is he alive somehow? Above all, do you think they'll get the chance to recruit Morro before they're overshadowed by the Sons of Garmadon? Feel free to drop a comment, and I'll see y'all on Monday!


	36. XXXV-Jay-XXXV

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not late to update the rest of y'all are just early 😤  
> Anyways enjoy the chapter!

Jay had been sitting in his bed all day trying to process everything from yesterday. After he went to his room, he spent forever calming himself down. He wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but he was finally able to slow down his breathing. His chest wasn’t hurting anymore, either. There was still a queasy feeling in his stomach, but he knew it would pass.

 

The Wind Master’s name kept echoing in his mind.

 

_Morro._

 

It almost familiar, like he’s heard it before. 

 

Jay’s mind continued to swirl. There was so much going on in his head. He was making random connections with memories, and that only gave him more to think about. 

 

There was a quiet knock at the door and Nya poked her head in.

 

“Hey,” she said. “Mind if I come in?” Jay nodded and the Water Master sat at Jay’s desk. She looked worried.

 

“I’m sorry for earlier,” Jay blurt out. “I usually don’t get like that in front of other people, and I can only imagine how awkward it was-”

 

“You don’t have to apologize.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

Nya looked down and bit the inside of her cheek. “Look, there’s something you should know. About the Wind Master.”

 

“Morro.” Just saying the name gave Jay an unreasonable amount of dread. He wasn’t sure why. For all he knew, Morro could be all sunshine and flowers. 

 

“Yeah,” she nodded. “So after you left the room, Master Wu told us about how he never heard from him after he ran away. Hardly anything mentioned the Wind Master, and long story short… we think he might be dead.”

 

Jay blinked. “Dead? Like, dead dead? How?”

 

Nya waved her hands defensively. “We’re not even one-hundred percent sure he’s dead,” she explained. “It’s just- a possibility we might have to consider.”

 

“But how would he have died?”

 

“Beats me, honestly.”

 

Jay thought for a moment. “Maybe I can just ask him.” Nya stared for a few seconds. Jay returned the silence.

 

“Oh, you’re serious,” she said. “Well, dinner’s almost ready. You might want to drop by Cole’s room. He’s worried for you.”

 

“For _me_?” Jay clarified. Cole didn’t seem like the type of person that attached themselves emotionally to things. Clearly, there must have been some type of misunderstanding. Cole probably wanted Jay to be in a good condition so they could all fight better as a team. Surely it wasn’t anything personal. 

 

Nya had left, and the Lightning Master found himself in the hall making his way to Cole’s room. He was about to knock when he froze. Was it really worth it? Cole would see Jay eventually. He highly doubted Cole would want him to show up unexpectedly. He was about to turn around to leave when he heard a voice behind him.

 

“Jay?” it asked. Jay nearly leapt out of his skin. 

 

“Cole!” he exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

 

“This is my room.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Are you okay?” Cole asked. “It looks like something is bothering you.”

 

Jay shrugged. “Just kind of out of it, y’know.”

 

“Did Nya tell you about Morro?”

 

“About how he’s probably dead? Yeah, that’s kind of a setback. And on top of that, summer’s ending pretty quickly so we still have to worry about school and-”

 

“Woah, slow down there. Kai told me that Skylor had a plan last night. She’s going to go over it with us at dinner."

 

Jay raised an eyebrow. How could someone come up with a plan to find someone they hardly knew anything about? It seemed a little too far-fetched, even for him. 

 

The two boys made their way to the dining area. Zane was in the kitchen with an apron finishing up dinner. Lloyd sat with his mom, telling her about one of the missions.

 

“...and he threatened us by saying he’s dealt with people like us before. That’s when he threw Nya across the room.”

 

Jay asked, “Are you talking about Killow?”

 

Lloyd turned to his teammates. “Yeah. That was probably our biggest mission so far.”

 

“Yep,” Cole laughed off-handedly, reaching for his throat. “That wasn’t fun.”

 

Misako pushed up her glasses. “That sounded incredibly dangerous. I’m really glad you kids are okay. Hopefully, these missions will be easier as soon as you find… oh, what was his name again? Morgan?”

 

“Morro,” Lloyd corrected as Jay and Cole sat down. “Did… Master Wu ever tell you about him?”

 

“He never said a word,” she answered, shaking her head. “I don’t understand why he kept this to himself for this long. Why didn’t he tell us when he first _met_ Morro?”

_How is everyone so serious all the time?_ Jay thought to himself. He spaced out from the conversation and wondered. Sure, the team had to be serious sometimes, like when they were on missions and such. Jay liked to think that he could be serious during times like those. But Jay liked to relax, and a few of the things that helped him relax were jokes and goofing around. He didn’t understand how to team kept their game faces on everywhere, even the dinner table. Everyone knows that dinner tables are for eating, and crying over math problems, not discussing the strange rules of life their Sensei followed.

 

Jay hoped Morro was like him. Not exactly like him, but someone he could just mess around with. That way he could always just turn to him when the discussions got serious.

 

It wasn’t until Zane slid a plate towards Jay that he snapped back into reality. Everyone else had sat down at that point, and Jay went straight into eating. People broke off into smaller conversations.

 

“You’re not talking as much as you usually do,” Cole pointed out. “Are you sure everything’s fine?” He was quiet enough so nobody else could get in their business.

 

Jay replied, “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just harder for me to be part of the talk when everyone’s so stiff, y’know?” He laughed quietly. Cole looked unsure but didn’t push any harder.

 

Skylor set her fork down and stood up. All eyes were on her now. Jay figured she was going to share whatever plan she had. 

 

“I’m sure everyone’s thinking about the news we were told last night,” she started. When everyone mumbled and nodded, she continued, “Obviously we should all think on the positive side of things and hope that our missing teammate _is_ alive, but sometimes we have to… assume the worst.”

 

A part of Jay wanted to make a joke and exclaim, _I’m always assuming the worst_ , but the dead silence in the room made him do otherwise.

 

Skylor went on, “So if Morro is dead, what are we supposed to do? Jago needs its eighth Master.”

 

“But we were able to win the Serpentine Wars without the eighth Master,” Cole pointed out. 

 

“True,” Misako said, “but that’s when we fought the Serpentine. Garmadon was banished to the First Realm with the Oni. If Garmadon is brought here, so are they. From the countless texts I’ve read, Oni are much deadlier than the Serpentine. Not to mention that we suffered great losses in the Serpentine War.” Her eyes began to drift down the table.

 

“Which is exactly why we need Morro,” Lloyd added on. 

 

“The Serpentine were brought here by a friend of my father’s, Clouse,” Skylor lectured. “More specifically, they were _summoned._ If Clouse was able to summon a whole other race, why couldn’t we summon-”

 

Jay shouted, “A GHOST!”

 

“Jay, please,” Wu said. “No yelling at the table.”

 

“A ghost?” Nya repeated. “Do you think he’s just… floating around somewhere?”

 

Kai leaned back in his seat and put his arms behind his head. “I don’t think it can be done. If a person’s dead, they’re dead, right?”

 

“Exactly,” Cole nodded. “Ghosts aren’t real.”

 

Jay offered, “Sure they are. I once saw on TV-”

 

“Anime can’t be used for real-world arguments,” Kai cut in. 

 

“Actually-” Zane began to say.

 

“You’re going to defend anime?”

 

Zane furrowed his brow. “No. I was going to contradict Cole’s disbelief in ghosts. There are sixteen realms, and only seven of them are known to us. In fact, we’ve only interacted with two besides our own.”

 

“Zane, you’re getting sidetracked,” Nya said. “Tell us about the ghosts.”

 

“Right. The Departed Realm is the realm we’ve interacted with the most. When we die, it’s the realm our soul travels to. It manifests itself and turns into a spirit, or ghost. It’s what ancient texts call our Sister Realm. There have been multiple recorded instances in history where someone has been summoned from the Departed Realm to here.”

 

Jay turned to Cole with a shit-eating grin. “Guess you were wrong, huh Rocky?” As Jay laughed, Cole crossed his arms and looked angry and annoyed. He looked at Jay and his expression quickly turned soft and he smiled and chuckled.

 

“Yeah,” Cole said. “I guess I was.”

 

“So we summon Morro, assuming he’s dead,” Nya thought aloud. “And if we go through whatever ritual we have to do and he doesn’t just pop up?”

 

“Then we assume he’s alive,” Skylor answered.

 

“There are various reasons as to why a summoning ritual for a ghost wouldn’t work out,” Zane said. “For example-”

 

“We’ll just assume he’s alive then,” Jay said.

 

Kai spoke up, “I think we’re forgetting the fact that no one knows how to summon a ghost.” He looked back and forth at all the Masters. “Well, Zane probably knows but that doesn’t count because of obvious reasons.”

 

“That’s where things get difficult,” Skylor sighed, as if everything else discussed wasn’t difficult enough. “I looked at multiple websites. The rituals were all different, but all of them said that it had to be lead by a Master of Magic.”

 

“Some of us took naps in third grade,” Kai said. “Mind explaining what those are?”

 

Zane explained, “When Saisho was giving the Masters their abilities, he gave one hundred people the ability of Magic. It’s fairly weak unless it’s trained to the extremes. Only a little over 10% of the Masters of Magic that have the inherited power today actually know how to use it.”

 

“Like Clouse,” Skylor said. “He’s the only person I know that knows magic, but I’m _not_ going to ask him to do anything unless we’re really out of options. There’s a reason why he’s locked up.”

 

Jay pursed his lips and turned to their Sensei with a sing-songy voice. “Hey, Master Wu. You wouldn’t by any chance have really helpful information you haven’t told us yet, would you?” The Master had been silent during the whole conversation. He’s just been watching them all and eating his dinner.

 

“As a matter of fact, I do,” Wu confessed. “An old friend of mine whom I visit from time to time knows magic.”

 

Color fled from Misako’s face. “Are you talking about _her?_ ”

 

Lloyd blinked. “Who? Mom, do you know who he’s talking about?”

 

Wu nodded in response to Misako. “I never understood why you don’t like Mistaké.”

 

“Ms. who-kay?” Jay stammered. 

 

“I never liked how isolated she was,” Misako confessed. “She’s… unnerving.”

 

Cole slapped the table. “Well, she didn’t start a snake war. We’ll talk to her.” Lloyd nodded in agreement and stood up. Everyone else followed suit except for Jay.

 

“Wait, now?” Jay blurt. “B-but I’m not done with my orange chicken!”

 

“I’ll eat it,” Cole offered, grabbing a piece and plopping it in his mouth. The rest of the chicken flew out of the plate and landed on the table and floor. He was out the kitchen with the other Masters. Jay was picking up the dropped chicken and putting it back on his plate as fast as he could.

 

“They sure took their time,” Wu remarked sarcastically.

 

Misako huffed. “At least they’re faster than we were. Although, by now, Jay, your mother would be miles ahead of everyone else.”

 

Jay, still distracted, gave a friendly laugh and pretended to know what she was talking about. When he finally gathered everything and sat up straight, he fully processed what Misako had said.

 

“My what?” Jay asked.

 

“Jay!” Nya yelled by the front door. Jay jumped and sprinted to catch up with the others. He leapt in the backseat of the van and caught his breath.

 

“Is everyone’s seatbelts on?” Zane asked. He started the car as soon as everyone was buckled in. Unfortunately, due to their fantastic luck, their watches began beeping.

 

Kai groaned. “Really? We haven’t had a mission in forever and _now_ out of all times it starts to ring.”

 

“Okay, here’s what we’ll do,” Lloyd sighed. Everyone was annoyed with the sudden alert. “I’ll go to Mistaké with Kai. The rest of you deal with whatever heist is happening.”

 

“Can I be in charge?” Jay asked hopefully. 

 

“Sure.”

 

Skylor began to get out of the car. “Tell us how it goes when you’re done.”

 

“Of course,” Kai said. “This was your plan after all.”

 

Jay left with the rest of the Masters and quickly got changed into their gear. The alert was a police call for suspicious activity in a town nearby the mountains. Zane told everyone to fly to a warehouse nearest to the town. That’s where the Sons of Garmadon usually went.

 

Zane took the lead, accompanied by Skylor. Jay trailed shortly behind Nya and was followed by Cole. At one point, Jay sped up a bit to match Nya’s speed.

 

“Hey,” he told her, “did your mom ever tell you she was a Master?”

 

It was hard to read her expression through her mask, but to Jay, it looked like Nya was confused. “Of course she did. Kai and I couldn’t have been taught to control our powers if we didn’t know that.”

 

“Oh.” Jay tightened his grip on the reins of his dragon. 

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

“Well, my parents never told me I was a Master. It was kind of something I discovered on my own. I had to teach myself a lot of things and- my parents supported my learning, but they never _taught_ me anything about my powers. And I just found out I inherited my powers from my mom so I was thinking… why wouldn’t she tell me anything? I don’t know, it sounds kind of stupid.”

 

“Maybe she had her reasons not to,” Nya shrugged. “I mean, for all you know, she may not even be your mom.”

 

Jay choked on his own words. He didn’t respond. He didn’t want to think about it so he didn’t talk about it. Luckily, Cole spoke up a few seconds later.

 

“Heads up,” he announced. “We’re getting closer.”

 

Jay shook himself to focus. As they neared the warehouse surrounded by motorcycles, Jay tried to force himself to worry about how things were going with Mistaké. He made himself worry about Morro. He made himself worry about if the orange chicken on the floor stained the carpet.

Just so he could think about _anything_ else but _that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're nearing the end of the first part, lads. Most likely only two to three chapters remaining.   
> Any burning questions before next week?


	37. XXXVI-Kai-XXVI

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy April Fools! Enjoy this weeks update 🤠

Kai was beginning to come to the realization that he and Lloyd are dumbasses. 

 

He was driving down the road, about halfway to Baransu when Lloyd said, “Where are we going?” That’s when it dawned on both of them that they left the house without asking Wu any information about where Mistaké is.

 

Master Wu didn’t have a phone, and Lloyd didn’t have Misako’s number in his contacts so they had to drive all the way back to the monastery. After being teased by Wu and comforted by Misako, they figured out that they had to go to a tea shop called Steep Wisdom. After quickly punching in the address in the GPS they were on their way.

 

Steep Wisdom landed in more of the suburban part of Baransu. A lot of younger looking people were walking around, probably for a night out. Kai could have sworn he saw Willow walking into a thrift store. There was a handful of tiny shops surrounding the area, a lot of which were still open to Kai’s surprise. 

 

Steep Wisdom was older looking than the rest of the shops. Kai expected a few people to be in there for the vintage aesthetic, but when they walked in, the only customer was a lumpy looking dude annoying the hell out of the old lady at the register. His curly hair was greased up to a strange swirl and he wore the blandest shade of brown Kai had ever seen. 

 

“Come on!” the man pleaded. “You’re telling me you don’t have a single tea that can make me ripped.”

 

“For the last time, Darreth, _no_ ,” the lady scowled. “Go back to your dojo or I’ll have to call the police.”

 

The man, Darreth, kicked the floor in his fuzzy pink slippers and shuffled out. Kai and Lloyd shivered as he closed the door behind him.

 

“He seemed like a pleasure,” Lloyd muttered.

 

“I apologize for Darreth,” the lady said. “He comes by every week. What can I get for you boys?”

 

Kai eyed her up and down. She wore a straw hat that reminded him of Wu. Her gray hair and gray zip-up sweater made her look plain. The sweater had only dots of color on it. Her lipstick was pale, too. The aged lines on her face hardly made her anymore intriguing. The most interesting thing about her was her deep purple eyes- so dark it was almost black. They were stern and didn’t take any bullshit. She seemed like somebody Wu would befriend.

 

“Are you Mistaké?” Lloyd asked cautiously

 

The lady raised an eyebrow. “Who wants to know?”

 

“We do, obviously,” Kai replied, crossing his arms. “That’s why we asked.”

 

“You have some nerve, boy,” the lady scolded. She arched her eyebrows. If it weren’t for her age, Kai would have been afraid that she was going to tackle him right then and there.

 

Lloyd acted quickly. “I am so sorry for my friend here. He’s very… forward,” he said.

 

Kai pursed his lips. “I don’t know if I should be offended or not.”

 

The lady slammed her fist on the table.

 

“Enough!” she yelled. “Who are you?”

 

Kai gulped. He turned to Lloyd to answer. He had more experience with strict old people than Kai did, after all.

 

Lloyd answered, “This is Kai. I’m Lloyd.”

 

“Lloyd Garmadon?” the lady interrogated. Kai saw Lloyd flinch.

 

“H-how…?”

 

The lady’s stern face suddenly turned soft as she smiled at Lloyd like he was her grandson. 

 

“You must be Wu’s nephew,” she exclaimed. Her sudden mood change made Kai feel unsettled. “Come to the back with me. I’ll close up shop.” The lady, who Kai has identified as Mistaké, left her desk to lock the doors from the outside. She let he and Lloyd behind the desk and opened the curtain in the back. She shot a dirty look at Kai. “Does he have to come?”

 

Lloyd sighed. “Yes, he does.”

 

Mistaké grumbled, “Fine.” 

 

Kai was kinda pissed. He wasn’t nice and proper for two seconds and now Mistaké is going to give him the cold shoulder for the rest of his life. 

 

The back of the tea shop doubled as a storage room and meditation room. There were boxes of tea packets against all the walls. In the center of the room were pillows surrounding a tea kettle and small cups. 

 

“I’m assuming you’re in need of my services,” Mistaké told them. “Wu wouldn’t tell you about me unless it was serious.” She sat down on the biggest pillow. Lloyd and Kai sat on two smaller pillows across from her. 

 

Mistaké began filling the cups with tea and passed them around, purposefully giving Kai the one with the least amount of tea.

 

_Is this how old people think being petty works?_ Kai thought to himself.

 

Lloyd said, “We need help with something important, but I have to ask. How long have you known my uncle? And why did he never tell me about you?”

 

Mistaké waved her hand and shook her head. “Our past together matters not. It’s what’s happening _now_ that’s important. Now tell me- why did Wu bring you here?”

 

Kai answered, “It turns out that we need eight Masters if we want things to go smoothly with the Sons of Garmadon, but we only have seven.”

 

“I see.” Mistaké took a sip of her tea. “So you’re in need of a tracking spell?”

 

“Not necessarily,” Lloyd winced. “We know his element and name, but our main problem is…”

 

Kai turned to Mistaké, realizing that Lloyd would take forever to say the words. “Our dude is probably dead. We want to try summoning him.”

 

“Summoning a ghost?” she rephrased. “Hah! That’s one of the easiest spells in the book. My father taught me that one ages ago.” 

 

“Not everyone’s a special witch like you,” Kai mumbles under his breath. 

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“What my friend means,” Lloyd interjected, panic in his voice, “is that it’s literally impossible for us to do something like that, seeing that we’re, well, already Masters of our own elements.”

 

Mistaké let out a _hmph_ sound. “The ritual itself is easy enough. I’d say the only thing you have to worry about is whether the spirit wants to be summoned.”

 

“A ghost can choose to not be summoned?” Kai asked. 

 

“Oh, yes. You could have a flawless ritual but end up fruitless. Don’t feel bad if you can’t get a ghost your first try.”

 

Lloyd objected, “But we _need_ this person. And we need to know this ritual, assuming they’re dead. Could you come back to the temple with us and perform it for us?”

 

“I can’t leave my shop, Lloyd.”

 

Kai demanded, “Why not? It’s just one visit. Morro is summoned and, boom, you’re gone.”

 

“Because,” she sneered, “I have some _very_ powerful spells in this room, and I am not risking losing them. Especially with these Sons of Garmadon out and about the city.”

 

“In this room?” Lloyd repeated. “But spells aren’t physical things.”

 

Mistaké explained, “I enchanted tea leaves. That way spells can be performed through tea. It took years to perfect. An impressive move if I do say so myself.”

 

“So you probably have a ghost tea,” Kai assumed. “We can take that home and you can stay here. Problem solved.” He was getting tired of this place. Mistaké was rude, and there weren’t even proper chairs.

 

Mistaké glared at Kai as she stood up. She rustled through a box for a few seconds. In her hands was a box, with the initials "G.S". written in marker on it. A small paragraph was written on the side. Kai assumed those were the “magic words” that had to be said. The box looked dusty and not secure. Kai wondered if it would survive the car ride home.

 

“Take this home and make a kettle of tea,” Mistaké instructed Lloyd. “Turn off all the lights. Make a circle of candles large enough for a person to fit in. Drink the tea before you say the incantation. Since you want to summon a specific person, be sure to add their name in the incantation. And if you want to play it safe, add something of value in the center.”

 

“What would be something of value?” Kai asked, genuinely curious.

 

“Anything that connects to the spirit’s past life. Something such as a picture, or even an old pillow.”

 

“Thank you, Mistaké,” Lloyd said, reading the box over and over again. 

 

Kai looked at Lloyd like he was practically begging to go home. Lloyd furrowed his brow until Kai sighed and turned to Mistaké.

 

“Thank you for everything,” Kai said in the flattest voice possible. “It was nice to meet you.”

 

Lloyd hit him in the arm.

 

\--------

 

“I’m nervous,” Lloyd admitted.

 

The two were driving back to the monastery. Kai was behind the wheel and Lloyd held the tea leaves on his lap. 

 

“Why’s that?” Kai asked. 

 

“I don’t know why. I just have this funny feeling in my stomach. I-it’s weird.”

 

“This is going to work out,” Kai promised. “If Morro isn’t summoned, then… we keep looking.”

 

“A lot of things can go wrong.”

 

“I know.”

 

Lloyd fell quiet for a few moments before saying, “What if Morro doesn’t want to be a Master?”

 

Kai was stunned. He wasn’t sure what the right thing to say was. If they ended the summer with only seven Masters, all of their work and research would have gone down the drain. Kai didn’t want to think about what could go wrong. He didn’t want to lie to Lloyd either.

 

“I guess we’ll just have to see,” he said, trying not to sound grim and hopeless.

 

Kai saw the dragons fly overhead as he pulled into town. He knew everyone would be changed by the time they got home. It was nearing eight o’clock. They could try summoning Morro tonight if they wanted to.

 

Not too long afterward, Kai pulled into the driveway of the monastery. He turned off the car, but neither of them got up right away. Kai looked over and saw Lloyd clutching the box, clearly worried. Kai unbuckled his seatbelt.

 

“Well, then,” he took in a deep breath. “Ready to summon a ghost?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're almost at the end, lads. Only one chapter left...


	38. XXXVII-Lloyd-XXXVII

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ALRIGHT, EVERYONE, IT'S HAPPENING

Lloyd walked into the kitchen with Kai and saw the others around the dinner table. They stopped whatever conversation they were having and put all of their attention on Lloyd.

 

“How’d the mission go?” Kai asked. 

 

“Two captures, and only minor injuries,” Zane informed. “We almost got information out of the white-haired one, but he escaped.”

 

Nya nodded at Lloyd. “What’s in the box?”

 

“Tea leaves,” Lloyd responded. His voice was shaky. It was obvious he was nervous. There was no denying it.

 

Jay blinked. “How are tea leaves supposed to summon a ghost…?”

 

“It’s part of Mistaké’s operation,” Misako explained. “She learned how to put her spells into tea leaves and was obsessed with the act. Clearly, she’s still doing this today.”

 

“A brilliant move,” Wu commented. “I assume she gave you the appropriate instructions?”

 

Lloyd nodded. He still wasn’t sure why he was so anxious. This was supposed to be a _good_ thing. So why did he feel off? He really hoped it wasn’t because of his fear of ghosts. 

 

“We’re doing this tonight,” Skylor said. “Aren’t we? I mean… it's now or never.”

 

Cole held in his breath and nodded. “Let’s do it by the couch. There should be enough room to do whatever we need to do.”

 

Lloyd opened the box and saw a small tea bag. He handed the bag to Zane.

 

“Make the tea,” Lloyd requested. “We’ll need it.”

 

As Zane readied the tea, the rest of the Masters prepared in the living room. Wu had plenty of candles that he used for meditation to give to his students. Nya made sure that not a single ray of light shined anywhere. Kai thought it was unnecessary to turn off the whole house, but she argued it was better to be safe than sorry.

 

Lloyd sat at the couch, shaking. It was hard to see anything, but the candles were enough to read the incantation for the hundredth time. The kettle on the stove hissed and Lloyd jumped. Wu sat down next to him.

 

“Scared?” he asked.

 

“I think,” Lloyd gulped.

 

Wu stared at the flames. “Do we have everything? Are we missing anything?”

 

“Mistaké suggested we put something from Morro’s past in the center. I just assumed you didn’t have anything…”

 

Wu stood up and placed his bo staff in the center. He sat back down without saying a word. Lloyd knew there was no use in questioning it, so he remained silent.

 

Lloyd watched the candles carefully. He watched as one of the flames would dance around the wick before dying down. Right when it seemed like it was going to go out, the fire picked up again. Lloyd wondered if the candles would last the ritual.

 

Zane announced, “The tea is ready.” He stood in between the kitchen and the living room. Lloyd walked up to the Ice Master and took a cup from him. The tea rippled in the cup when Lloyd held it. He was still shaking so much.

 

Lloyd stood right in front of the candles. Box in one hand, tea in the other. It was go time. The Masters were behind Lloyd, all looking at the center anxiously. 

 

“So,” Jay said, almost too quiet to hear, “do you think this Morro guy will like us?”

 

“Only one way to find out,” Lloyd replied grimly. He took a swig of the tea and drank as much as he could. It was incredibly bitter, but it was hard to taste most of it because it burnt his tongue. He almost spat out the beverage. He had to force himself to swallow.

 

Tossing the cup to the side, Lloyd brought up the old cardboard box. He took a deep breath and started to read.

 

_“Taoreta hito o yobu  
Watashi wa sorera o yobu  
Morro  
Anata no ie ni modoru  
Ni jinsei no sekai.”_

 

The flames began to flicker. It became colder. Lloyd could have sworn there was a breeze.

 

_“Morro  
Kaitō  
Seishin o hanare nasai  
Mokuteki ga aru  
Soshite watashitachi ni sanka!”_

 

The candles went out as if somebody flipped a switch. The Masters were in darkness, but they could still see the smoke circle around the center. Wu’s staff began to levitate and glow. Lloyd watched in awe as the glow became brighter and brighter. Quickly, he looked back at the box and read off the final verse.

 

_“Morro  
Anata no tamashī o watashitachi ni motte kite kudasai.” _

 

As the last word left Lloyd’s mouth, there was a bright light. He jumped back. Squinting, he saw the staff fall apart on itself. In its place was a blob of smoke and light. It moved around and stretched.

 

The figure became a silhouette and the silhouette to a body. The breath left Lloyd’s body. This was it.

 

Clothes and hair appeared. The wind began to die down and the lights became dimmer. Lloyd could see the torn-up rags he wore. His pitch black hair fell around his face. A single streak of green fell on his face. 

 

Lloyd felt his heart beat faster and faster. The Master of Wind hovered above the ground. He looked up and opened his eyes- a dark stormy blue.

 

_This is him,_ the voice in Lloyd’s head screamed. _The eighth Master. The one we’ve been missing._

 

“Morro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> go to the next chapter for some final words ;0


	39. -MASTERS OF BARANSU WILL RETURN-

WOW, 37 chapters, 185 pages, and over 56,000 words later and the first part of Masters of Baransu is DONE.

 

This has been such a journey, but it isn’t done yet. I wanna thank all of you for reading this. This is the first fic I’ve ever posted on the world wide web and I’m touched by the support I’ve gotten. Every kudos and comment I’ve gotten has made me smile. I love y’all <3

 

ALSO! Masters of Baransu will return **JULY 29!!!!** Mark your calendars! Part 2 is coming babey!!1!

 

In the meantime, it would mean a lot if you checked out my art account on insta ;0. It’s @mediocreeci   
Once again thank you all very much! 

 

_**Masters of Baransu: Nearing Fall comes out July 29** _

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I'll try to update every Monday (keyword try)


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